Welcome to Woodstock
by jdmfanfiction
Summary: Lennon goes to Woodstock to find out more information about her parents. While there, she meets Jude and falls in love with the small town. (Jude/OC)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is my first time writing for this particular character, but I couldn't resist! JDM in this movie is absolutely gorgeous. There's no way I could watch this movie without developing a crush on this guy. Plus, he's charming and funny, and he's a carpenter. Hehe. Enjoy! :)

* * *

Lennon's parents died before she could even remember them. She was raised by her grandparents from her mother's side and while she had a wonderful childhood, there was always that underlying curiosity about her parents that her grandparents couldn't fulfill.

She had always lived in New York City. Living in the Big Apple urged her to become a photographer. Her grandfather gave Lennon her first camera when she was seven and since then, she was hooked.

Now, Lennon traveled around the world taking photos for the National Geographic. It was an amazing job since she was able to do what she loved without the normal nine-to-five office job. Her grandparents always told her that her parents would be proud since they, too, never wanted to work at desk job.

To put it simply, her grandparents said, "Your parents were hippies."

Lennon had to laugh when she found out. It was hard to believe that her parents were hippies. The only she knew about hippies were from what she learned through the history books in high school and a few movies that was based off that time period.

Lennon loved to dress very hippie-like, very much with a bohemian style. Her grandparents would always stare at her, smiling with tears in their eyes.

Now that she was older and in her late twenties, Lennon had the chance to visit the one place that her parents lived in until their deaths.

The one place that she was born in.

Woodstock.

Upon arriving to Woodstock, Lennon checked into the hotel. It was only two stories, but she didn't mind. She always wondered what it would have been like if she grew up in a small town rather than the big city.

She draped her camera over her body, dressed in black shorts and a white, loose, short-sleeved peasant top. Her hair was tied into a messy pony tail and since it was summer, she was enjoying the heat.

She was walking through the town, glancing at the surroundings. Lennon couldn't believe that this was where her parents lived their entire adult life. Her grandparents told her that her mother moved to Woodstock the moment she turned seventeen, telling her grandparents that she had met a boy who was a couple of years older and would urge her to finish school there. They were reluctant, but they always said that when her mother put her mind to something, she was going to make it happen.

Lennon heard the loud chanting coming from the main circle of the town. She noticed people holding picket signs, protesting about peace and ending war. Maybe her parents were really hippies.

She brought her camera closer to her face and began taking photos of the people protesting. Aside from her photographs of nature and landscapes, Lennon loved to take candid, street photography. There was something about having a glimpse into a stranger's expression at that very moment that always interested her.

Street photography always made her feel connected with a stranger through the photo alone. It was amazing what photography could make one person feel.

Lennon smiled to herself, asking one of the locals what was going on.

"Well, darlin', we want our troops home! There's no sense in fighting a war when we can come together in peace!" The older man said, holding up his sign and pointing at various bystanders to repeat his message.

"Peace not war!" They chanted.

Lennon felt empowered. She traveled around the world to take photos of the most beautiful creatures and the most beautiful sceneries on Earth, but she never avidly read the news about the war, but listening to these passionate people protesting about it made her want to be involved.

As she continued taking photos, she stepped back to bump into a very large man. When Lennon turned around, she widened her eyes and stared up at him.

Lennon cleared her throat, dropping her camera to rest across her body. The man smiled, looking down at her while holding a clipboard.

"Wow. You are the definition of a rugged man," she blurted out.

The other man chuckled, tilting his head in amusement.

Lennon took notice of his plaid shirt, seeing that it was only halfway buttoned so she got a clear view of his chest and the chest hair that littered his soft skin. When she looked up at him, he was still smiling. His hair was slightly disheveled and wavy and his beard had tinges of grey. It wasn't helping her in anyway. In fact, the sight of his dimples and his beautiful eyes made her blush even further.

"Well, that's certainly the first time anyone's ever said that to me," he chuckled.

Lennon wanted to roll her eyes simply because not only was he beautiful, but his voice was so deep and so manly that it made her shiver. She needed to get herself together. She was here solely to find out more information about her parents, not thinking some stranger was incredibly hot.

"I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry," Lennon replied.

The man just smiled. It was so sincere and genuine.

Before he could reply, an older woman called him over and Lennon took that as a sign to walk away. When he turned back around to ask Lennon her name, she was already gone in the midst of the crowd taking more photos.

The man watched Lennon walk to the coffee shop, biting his lower lip before he felt the older woman, Grace, tap his shoulder, pulling him from his trance.

" _Hey, Jude_ …" She sang, causing Jude to laugh.

"Get any new signatures?" Grace asked.

Jude shook his head, staring at the door of the coffee shop for a moment before sighing, turning his attention on the older woman. "Not enough to make an appeal, no. It's a small town. I have all the signatures that I could get here."

Grace smirked, "Except for one and you let her get away."

"You called me over," he replied.

"You took quite a while in asking her name. I figured you weren't interested and needed saving."

"I like to take my time," Jude said.

Grace grinned, "Oh, don't I know it."

Jude laughed, shaking his head and wrapping an arm around her frame. He squeezed her to him gently before placing a kiss on the crown of the older woman's head. Aside from their history, Jude still cared very deeply about her.

"She doesn't look like she's from here, Grace."

"Well, she is sure dressed like she belongs here. Why don't you go on and talk to her?"

Jude nodded, kissing her cheek. "You're the best."

Grace grinned, "I know, I know. Now go!"

Jude walked towards the coffee shop, biting his lower lip before he decided to step inside. When he looked around, he found the place to be empty aside from the employees that worked there.

"Hey, Cole. Did you see a woman in here with a camera? Maybe five minutes ago?"

The younger man nodded, "I did. She bought an iced coffee then left. You know her or something, Jude? She's pretty cute."

Jude grinned, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't know her, but I'm going to find out."

Cole cleared his throat, "Oh. You saw her first. Got it. Well, she did show me a photo of her parents. She asked if I knew them or something. I had no clue what she was talking about."

Jude arched a brow. He didn't know where to look for her, but he decided not to dwell on it too much. Woodstock was a small town, so bumping into her would eventually happen again.

"That's interesting. Well, I'll catch you later, Cole." Jude left the coffee shop in disappointment, walking back to the protest and retrieving his clipboard from Grace.

* * *

The next day, Lennon awoke early to get a head start on her day. She let her hair down today, allowing it to rest past her shoulders in its natural waves. She dressed in a yellow graphic t-shirt that she tied just past her belly button and slipped on an ocean blue maxi skirt printed with flowers.

On the way out of her hotel room, Lennon grabbed her bag and the photo of her parents. Surely, there would be someone here that knew them. The good thing she was beginning to love about Woodstock was that everything was within walking distance from her hotel.

Walking into the coffee shop, she noticed the same young man from yesterday and an older gentleman behind the register.

"Hello, dear. What can I get for you?" The man asked.

"Just a vanilla iced coffee will do for me. Thank you," she smiled.

After paying for her coffee, Lennon waited until her drink was finished before asking the man about her parents. She needed to know if anyone in Woodstock knew about them.

"Thank you," she said, taking a straw from the counter. "Can I ask you a question?"

The man nodded, smiling politely, "Yeah, sure."

Lennon pulled the photograph from her bag, showing it to the older man. When no traces of recognition flashed through his face, she knew that she was going to hear what she did not want to hear.

"I'm afraid I don't know who these people are, love. Are they your siblings?"

Lennon shook her head, "No… It's an old photo of my parents. They lived here in the Sixties."

The man sighed, shaking his head solemnly. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I don't know them. I just moved here about five years ago."

Lennon sighed, thanking him for the coffee regardless. She was finding this trip to be useless. No one at the hotel knew who her parents were. No one at the coffee shop knew who they were. She kept coming up empty handed.

Until an older man reading the newspaper called her over. "What were your parents' names?"

Lennon cleared her throat, sitting next to him instantly, "Lily and Arlo Carter."

The man lowered his newspaper, looking at her with a small smile. "And you must be Lennon Rose."

She nodded, smiling. Finally! She was getting somewhere.

"I am… Did you know them?"

"I did, but I think you should talk to Grace. She'll tell you everything you want to know. Here's her address. Tell her Rob sent you."

Lennon smiled, sighing in relief. She stood from her chair and hugged him gently, pulling back with a blush appearing on her cheeks. "Thank you so much, Rob."

"Don't thank me. I knew the minute you walked in that you were Lily's daughter. You look just like her but with Arlo's green eyes," the man commented, returning the hug.

"Thank you so much."

* * *

Lennon pulled up to the woman's house. She smiled instantly. It was beautiful with so much open space. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like to live in a place like this. With a deep breath, Lennon knocked on the door, awaiting an answer.

When the older woman opened the door, Lennon flashed a shy smile. "H – Hi…"

"Well, you're the new girl, aren't you?! Come on in! I love meeting new people," she grinned, welcoming Lennon into her house.

Lennon stepped inside, taking a look around her home. She had very interesting pieces of art plastered on the wall and sculptures resting on counters. It was oddly satisfying to see another artist displaying their own work.

"Well, they do not underestimate that Woodstock is known for hippies…" Lennon whispered.

Grace laughed, leaning against the counter.

"Do you want a smoke?" She asked.

Lennon shook her head politely, "No thank you."

The older woman nodded, flashing a kind smile before leading Lennon to the small living room. She took a seat at the couch after glancing around, taking note of the books on the shelves.

"Um, someone told me to go to you… Rob… Do you know my parents?" Lennon asked.

Grace looked at her, furrowing a brow. When Lennon handed her the photo, Grace almost dropped it. It had been so long since she had seen those two faces.

"Oh my god, you're Lennon Rose, aren't you?"

Lennon nodded, "Rob said you'd tell me everything I wanted to know. Were you friends with them?"

Grace smiled, tears stinging her eyes at the sudden memories that flooded her mind.

"Your mother was my best friend."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** I can't get enough of JDM in this damn movie. Like the scruff and the hair. How can one resist that? Anyway, things will be picking up soon! Hope to develop their relationship in the next chapter! This is simply a filler to give more information for the original character! Enjoy! :)

* * *

Lennon was seated at the couch with her leg draped over the other, sipping on a cup of tea. She remained quiet, watching as this older woman talked on and on about her parents. She couldn't believe that she missed the chance on knowing them; they sounded like wonderful people.

"Arlo was always a ladies man. It was those green eyes – the very ones that you have – that made every girl want to be with him. Then, he left Woodstock for the summer. Came back in the fall with a new girl. She was seventeen. He had just turned twenty. But, the way he looked at her was different." Grace continued, staring at the younger woman with reminiscing eyes.

"What do you mean?" Lennon asked quietly.

"He never looked at another girl since getting with your mother. And Arlo was a man who loved the attention from women. When I met her, she was so kind and friendly and – I knew why Arlo loved her so much. She had such an innocent soul, always wanting to do good in this world, which is how she and I got along so well."

Lennon bit her lower lip. She was looking through the photo album that Grace had given her. She wished that she had some memory of her parents aside from stories. She wished she knew what it was like to grow up in Woodstock, surrounded by people who wanted nothing more than peace in this world.

"Arlo was always jealous whenever she and I were together. He would always tease us saying that she came to Woodstock for _him_ , not for me," Grace laughed sadly. Her eyes were becoming glassy from the mere thought of Lennon's mother, Lily.

"My grandparents say that they remind me so much of my mom. Looks and behavior…"

"You look _exactly_ like your mother. You've got your father's green eyes."

Lennon smiled, looking down at the photo of her parents during a protest in the Sixties. She let her fingertips graze the photo before Grace pulled the photo from its pocket, handing it to her.

"Keep it," she said.

"I – No, I can't. These are your memories. Not mine," Lennon said, immediately placing it back into the pocket before Grace stopped her.

"You'll benefit more from this photo than myself."

"Thank you, Grace."

Lennon set her cup down onto the coffee table. She couldn't take her eyes off the photo. Her parents looked so happy, so carefree.

There was a broad smile on Grace's lips. Lennon had to wonder what other memory popped into the older woman's mind.

"When Lily found out she was pregnant with you, she was ecstatic. Arlo immediately knew he wanted to name you Lennon. He was always such a big Beatles fan. They both were. Hell, everyone was, and still is. But when they found out they were going to have a girl, your mother wanted some femininity and that's why they added Rose," Grace explained.

"My grandmother says it's her favorite flower…"

Grace laughed quietly. From the way she was looking at the coffee table with a slight distanced look in her eyes, Lennon knew that this conversation alone was bringing up memories from the past. She just hoped that they were good memories.

"Oh, honey. She would always wear flower crowns designed with roses. She looked like a goddess."

Lennon giggled, "I've seen a few photos. I dressed up as a hippie for spirit week back in high school. My grandparents were crying and I didn't know why. Then, they showed me a photo of my mom. I couldn't believe how much we looked like."

"Believe me. I'm almost as shocked as you are. It's like I'm talking to her right now."

Lennon grinned. She was more similar to her mother than she thought.

"When I had a daughter of my own, they were so helpful. They helped me with everything. I could never thank them enough. It took them so long to conceive… Then they were taken from this world without even having the chance to raise you. I'm so sorry for what happened to them," Grace said, biting her quivering lower lip.

"It wasn't their fault… Drunk driver, right? My grandparents told me they wouldn't have been angry. They were just – Nice like that. They never held any grudges."

Lennon sighed, dropping her eyes. Before Grace could reply, there was a knock at the door to interrupt their deep conversation.

"Excuse me. I'll shoo away whoever is at the door," she offered a polite smile.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. It's fine," Lennon replied.

Grace stood at the door, glancing over her shoulder to smile at the younger woman sitting in her living room. She was so much like Lily.

Then, Lennon heard a voice. _His_ voice. She looked up to see him talking to Grace.

Jude didn't know why he decided to visit Grace; maybe it was because of that mysterious woman he saw at the protest yesterday. Besides, Grace always gave great advice and he always left her house feeling much better.

Though, as his eyes scanned the older woman's house, he noticed the same _mystery_ woman.

"Oh, I didn't know you had company," Jude said.

"Nonsense. Come and meet my new friend," Grace replied, winking up at him. She gently nudged him towards the living room, biting back the smile on her lips.

Lennon stood up, biting her lower lip as she looked up at the rugged man.

"Should I call you Cinderella? Since you're running off all of a sudden," he teased.

"I don't know. That would entail I'd have a Prince Charming, but if you're offering to become one, I'd say you'd have to shave the beard, trim the hair, and clean up a bit," Lennon retaliated.

Grace chuckled in the back. While Lennon had her mother's kindness, she also had her father's sense of humor.

"You _are_ funny," he said.

Grace arched a brow, glancing at her backyard. "I'll leave you two to talk. I've got to feed my chickens and tend to my things in the garage. You still coming to the party tomorrow, Jude?"

Jude stared at Lennon, but nodded in response to Grace's question. "I'll be there, Grace."

When the older woman left, Lennon glanced up at him. "She's growing, isn't she?"

"That obvious?" Jude asked.

Lennon giggled, nodding in response.

"I mean, she has books about it on her shelf. It's kind of hard not to miss," she replied.

Jude sat at the armchair across from the couch, watching as Lennon placed the photos of her parents carefully into her wallet. She didn't want them to wrinkle.

"Will you be attending Grace's party?" Jude asked.

Lennon shook her head. "Oh, um, no… You have fun, though. From the sight of the protest, I'm sure that won't be a problem."

He leaned forward, placing his chin against his knuckles.

"Why won't you go?"

"I wasn't invited and I'm just here as a visitor."

Jude shook his head, smiling. "Well, I'm here inviting you and besides, here at Woodstock, we love visitors. We love new people in general. It's a small town, so any new face is usually the talk of the town."

"The talk of the town?"

"You make a good impression," he said.

"How? I haven't even been here for more than two days."

"You dress like you belong in a place like Woodstock. Just think about it, okay? The party will be here at Grace's place."

"I don't know…" She replied hesitantly.

"Oh, come on. Live a little." Jude taunted.

Lennon narrowed her eyes. "Fine. You know what? I'll go to the party."

Jude chuckled, looking at her with a broad grin that displayed his dimples. "You'll have fun, believe me."

"I'm sure I will. Can you let Grace know that I had to go? I don't want to interrupt her from whatever she's doing…"

"Do you want me to walk you to your car?" Jude asked, standing up with her. His eyes caught a glimpse of the photo before she tucked it away. Those two people looked familiar to him.

"Trying to become my Prince Charming?" Lennon teased, walking towards the front door with Jude following behind her.

"That depends. Is it working?"

Lennon giggled, glancing over her shoulder at him. She shook her head. "

"I think you're going to have to try harder than that."

Jude smiled, running a hand through his wavy, disheveled hair.

"I'll be sure to put extra effort. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Lennon bit her lower lip, nodding. "Okay."

"Don't back out on me," he teased.

"I guess you'll find out tomorrow."

* * *

The next day, Lennon was contemplating on attending the party. She enjoyed Grace's presence, but she also wanted to see Jude again. They had yet to formally introduce themselves to one another, but hopefully that would happen soon.

He didn't specify a time, so Lennon decided to get ready instead. She just hoped not many people paid too much attention to her.

Lennon slipped on a loose, short sleeved, white floral maxi sundress. It reached her ankles and she slipped on her brown sandals to go with her outfit. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun and grabbed her bag. She left her hotel room and decided to grab a cup of coffee before going to the party.

Upon arriving to Grace's house, Lennon took notice of how many people were actually in attendance. How could so many people fit in such a small home?

With a heavy sigh, Lennon climbed out of the rental car and walked to the front door that was left wide open. She heard chatter and laughter followed with the sounds of bottles clinking together. Once she stepped inside, an older man arched a brow in confusion.

"Lily?" He muttered, standing up to walk towards Lennon.

Grace arched a brow at the familiar name, turning her head to see Lennon standing at the front door. She walked over to the younger woman, placing a gentle hand on the older man's back, grinning at Lennon.

"Donnie, this is Arlo's and Lily's daughter. Lennon Rose."

He grinned, pulling her immediately into a tight hug. Lennon smiled to herself, wrapping her arms around the stranger and sighing in contentment. For once, she finally felt like she was closer to her parents than she ever had before.

"Do you want a beer? Wine?" Grace asked.

Lennon shook her head, "Neither is fine. Thank you, though, Grace."

Donnie led her to the living room, sitting on the same couch she had just yesterday. The older man took her hands into his own. His eyes were solely staring down at Lennon and she would be lying if she said she didn't feel uncomfortable, but somehow, looking around at the sight of people having fun felt like she belonged here.

"Your mother was the most beautiful woman I ever laid eyes on," he said, chuckling to himself.

Lennon smiled to herself. _Yay! Another story._ She looked at the older man with a grin. She waited for the story, listening with her complete attention on both Grace and Donnie.

"I actually got into a fight with your father once. I didn't know she was taken. She was too nice to reject me."

Grace laughed quietly, "I remember that day. Arlo was pissed."

"I don't blame him. I would have reacted the same way. God, I can't believe you're Lennon Rose… When Arlo and Lily told us about the pregnancy, we were all so excited. Took them a while, but they never gave up. They always had hope."

Lennon bit her lower lip. The more stories she heard, the sadder she became, surprisingly. She wanted nothing more than to meet her parents, to hear their voice, to see them in person, to be held in their arms… It was something she would never experience.

"When we found out about the tragic accident, we all mourned. It was probably the only day in Woodstock that was … Dark and sad. You come to a town like this and you expect sunshine and happiness. Losing Arlo and Lily meant losing a part of Woodstock," Donnie admitted.

Grace nodded in agreement. She tried not to divulge into the conversation simply because that wound was still fresh.

"To see you here… It's like we've gained that missing part back," he said.

Lennon looked up at him and smiled. Grace watched her with a sad smile on her lips. The way her eyes lit up reminded her of Lily whenever she was complimented or passionate about something. The color of her eyes reminded her of Arlo.

Having Lennon step foot into Woodstock was truly a godsend. It was as if Lily and Arlo sent her this way.

Jude stepped into the house, greeting the familiar faces with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. When he noticed Lennon sitting on the couch, he smiled and removed his leather jacket to drape over the railing of the stairs.

Lennon glanced around the crowd of people before her eyes settled on Jude. He flashed her a smile and she blushed.

Grace took notice and looked over her shoulder to see Jude standing here.

"Go and get a drink, Lennon. We'll be right here."

Lennon bit her lower lip, nodding. She thanked the both of them before walking in Jude's direction. She blushed even further when she noticed his eyes raking over her figure.

"You definitely belong here at Woodstock."

Lennon giggled, shaking her head and following him to the kitchen. He handed her a bottle of beer and she took it eagerly, sitting at the stood. She glanced up at him and smiled, biting her lower lip.

"You seem to be hitting it off with Donnie," he said, taking a swig of his own beverage.

"Is Prince Charming jealous?" She teased.

Jude grinned, "Does that mean you accept me as your Prince Charming, Cinderella?"

"I still see a beard and the slightly long hair."

"Oh, so you're telling me you don't like my ruggedness? Because from what transpired yesterday at the protest, I'd think you don't mind how rugged I am."

Lennon narrowed her eyes, "I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. I guess you'll have to let your mind determine your own answer."

Jude smiled at her with an amused expression on his face. He glanced over at Grace who seemed to be watching the entire thing unfold. She then motioned for him to leave the party with her with a swift nod to her head.

Jude looked back at Lennon and noticed her making her face at the next sip of her beer. He chuckled, reaching for the bottle and downing the contents.

"Thanks… I should have said I didn't like beer." Lennon said.

Jude shook his head, "Don't worry about it. Come on. I want to show you something."

He took her hand and led her out of the house. Lennon didn't pull away, finding it very odd that she felt safe around him. Jude led her through the woods and a secret trail before a beautiful, open space of the lake was revealed to her.

Lennon smiled, walking towards the edge of the dock. "Wow. This is gorgeous."

She took a seat at the edge, removing her sandals and lifting the ends of her dress just a bit to let her feet delve into the water without her clothing becoming wet.

Jude followed, removing his shoes and folding his pants up to his shins. He glanced over at her, watching as her eyes scanned the area.

The sun glistened against the surface the lake, causing the water to create an illusion that it was sparkling. Lennon wished she had her camera with her right now. It would have been a wonderful photo.

"So, why come to Woodstock?" He asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

Lennon bit her lower lip, reaching for her purse and handing him a photo of her parents.

"I needed to find out more information about them. They were my parents. They're A –"

"Arlo and Lily Carter," Jude finished.

Lennon arched a brow. "How do you know?"

"When I first moved here, I got really close with Grace. We don't have secrets between each other. She told me about them. Your mother was her best friend, you know that? They're both sort of a legend around here."

"Really?" Lennon asked.

Jude nodded, "Oh yeah. Your kind-hearted mother. Your charming father. Put them together and they're the nicest, funniest people you would have ever met. At least that's what Grace said."

Lennon smiled to herself, taking the photo and placing it safely back into her wallet.

"Thanks for bringing me out here. It's really soothing."

Jude smiled, "I could tell you were a bit uncomfortable at the party. You could have left if you were feeling that way."

Lennon shrugged, "I wanted to stay. I owe Grace that much. Besides, I think I was only uncomfortable because I didn't know anyone there."

"Well, if this counts for anything, the people here in Woodstock are very welcoming. Dressed like that –" He said, motioning to her dress with his eyes, "With a smile and eyes like yours… They will _surely_ be kind to you," Jude finished.

Lennon blushed again, shaking her head and looking out into the water.

"If you want to call me beautiful, just go on and say it already," she teased.

Jude chuckled, "You're beautiful."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** This is simply a filler chapter! Things will pick up soon and more chapters will solely have interactions with Jude and Lennon! Thanks for hanging in there! Enjoy :) Also, there may be some errors bc I haven't had the chance to look it over. I apologize in advance!

* * *

"So, you're a carpenter?" Lennon asked, wiggling her toes from underneath the water. Her hands were placed on her lap as she allowed the cool summer breeze to rush past her.

"More or less, yeah." He replied. Jude hadn't felt this comfortable around a woman in a very long time. He imagined himself talking to her for the longest time and even then, it wouldn't be enough time to spend with her. "What about you? What do you do?"

"Uh, I take photos for the National Geographic."

Jude arched a brow. "Are you serious?"

"Indeed I'm serious. I've been working there for a year and a half now. It's amazing."

"I suddenly feel like I'm in the presence of a celebrity," he teased.

Lennon laughed quietly, shaking her head and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She had always loved the outdoors and taking photos that being a photojournalist at National Geographic was a dream come true.

"It's fun. I get to travel around the world. Every work day is different from the last. You never know what to expect."

"Don't you ever wish to settle down somewhere?" Jude asked.

"Yeah. Once in a while, but I'm enjoying the time I have right now to travel. Besides, if I do ever settle down, he's gotta be the right one," she replied.

Jude smiled to himself, nodding. Even with the silence, it was comfortable enough that he didn't find the need to start a new conversation. It was calming to be in her presence.

"You know, I feel closer to my parents now that I have more information. My grandparents always lived in the city. They had a falling out with my mother once she met my dad. They still feel guilty to this day," Lennon admitted, playing with the fabric of her dress.

"A falling out?"

"My mom left when she was seventeen to be with my dad."

"Well, I've seen pictures of your parents from Grace. You do look a lot like your mom and she was one hot woman."

Lennon looked over at him with slightly widened eyes before she playfully smacked his upper arm, laughing quietly.

"First of all, she's my _mom_! And second, is that is that your way of saying I'm hot?"

Jude grinned over at her, rubbing his arm absently. "Oh, you caught me."

Lennon laughed quietly, shaking her head. She looked out into the water and sighed to herself. Since coming to Woodstock, she had learned more about her parents that not even her grandparents could give her. It was a good idea to take the risk and leap of faith to visit the town that her parents grew up in.

"You know, we've been talking for hours and we don't even know each other's names," Lennon lied. She knew his name. She overheard Grace, but he didn't need to know that she was interested. Lennon liked to play hard to get.

"Well, I was getting there. You aren't a patient woman, are you?"

"You're _this_ close to being pushed in the water," she teased.

Jude laughed quietly, "I'm Jude."

"I'm Lennon."

"My god. After John Lennon?"

"Yeah. My parents loved The Beatles," Lennon smiled.

"Wow. What's your middle name, then?"

"Rose."

Jude grinned, "Lennon Rose. That's such a beautiful name."

"Thanks. So, I take it your parents loved The Beatles, too? I mean, I'm singing _Hey Jude_ in my head right now."

"They did, yeah. I don't mind though. Everyone loves The Beatles," he replied.

Lennon smiled to herself, glancing over her shoulder. "We should probably head back."

"All right." Jude stood up, slipping on his shoes. He extended both hands for her to take to help her up. Lennon took his hands into hers and stood from the dock, stumbling a bit before she felt herself trip forward.

She immediately rested both hands onto his chest to steady herself, looking up at him and taking note of the close proximity. Lennon cleared her throat once his hands moved to her hips to keep her from falling.

When he didn't move, Lennon didn't either. She stared up at him, looking into his eyes.

"Is it time for you to run away and leave a sandal on this dock so I can return it to you?" Jude teased.

Lennon arched a brow, deciding to not reply. Instead, she kissed his cheek and removed one sandal. She set it on the dock and walked away, glancing over her shoulder at him before she began running. Lennon couldn't wait to see him again.

Once Lennon left, Jude picked up the sandal and tilted his head, smiling to himself. He knew he shouldn't get attached to a woman who wasn't going to be staying here, but he couldn't help it. It had been a while since he had a sincere connection with a woman.

* * *

Once the party was over, Grace walked over to Lennon and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Lennon simply leaned against her, glancing over at the older woman.

"Come on. I want to show you something," she said.

"Is it your garden?" Lennon asked.

"What? No! Unless you want to."

Lennon laughed quietly, shaking her head. "No, no. It's okay."

Grace began driving a few miles down her house to see an abandoned one in the middle of nowhere. When Lennon stepped out, Grace took a deep breath and prepared herself for the emotions that she was sure would come.

"Where are we?" Lennon asked.

"This used to be your parents' house after Arlo's parents passed away, they lived the rest of their lives here."

Lennon bit her lower lip, looking around the open space and back to the house. It looked old and dusty and fragile.

"I don't – I don't know if I want to step inside…" Lennon admitted.

"That's okay. You don't have to. I just wanted to show you where they lived."

Tears began to cloud Lennon's eyes, walking towards the steps of the front porch before sighing to herself. She wished her parents weren't taken from her so soon.

"When your parents found out they were having you, Arlo wanted to set up a tire swing on that tree over there. Then he said he wanted to create a treehouse in the backyard," Grace began, draping a comforting arm around Lennon's shoulders.

"They were really excited to meet me?" Lennon asked quietly.

"Of course, honey! Your father paraded your mother around town saying that their newest addition to the family will make Woodstock an even better place and I think he was right. When you were born, your father melted into a puddle. He was known to be this macho type of man, but when he was holding you, he was mush. Your mother always teased him about it," Grace continued.

Lennon slowly sat at the stairs, looking out to the tree in the front yard and the tire swing that was lying on the grass. "Thank you for taking me here and for giving me so many stories about my parents… It means so much to me."

"I promised your parents I would always take care of you, Lennon. I'm not going to break that."

Lennon let a small smile line her lips. She decided to remain quiet, taking in the comfortable silence and the quiet breeze of wind.

She shut her eyes and imagined what it would have been like if her parents were still alive. Lennon wondered if her entire life would be different or if it would be the same. It was the constant questions that she knew would never be answered.

"Hey, Grace? Where's _your_ daughter? How come she isn't here?" Lennon asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, she's a successful lawyer in New York City. She never really did support my practices with certain things, but she's doing great out there. I'm so proud of her."

"She's missing out on a wonderful woman," Lennon replied.

Grace smiled, glancing at the time. "So, there's another protest this afternoon. Would you like to come and join us? Maybe take some photos?"

"That would be great. I would love to, Grace."

* * *

Lennon walked around the main area of the town to see the same faces she saw at the party holding picket signs. However, she spent majority of her time taking pictures that it wasn't until she moved her camera that it was focused on a man holding up a slipper with a big grin on his face.

She let her camera drape over her neck before walking towards him. Jude smiled to himself, looking down at Lennon once she was close enough.

"I think I found something of yours…" He said.

"Is that my glass slipper?" Lennon teased.

"We have to make sure it fits."

Jude led them to a bench and kneeled down in front of her, lifting the end of her dress to her calves to reveal her feet. He slowly removed her other shoe to place her sandal back onto her feet.

"It's a perfect fit," Lennon smiled.

Jude grinned, "Well, will you look at that? You're right."

"Thank you," she said, standing up once he did too. She looked up at him, still distracted by his green hazel-like eyes and dimples.

"What are you doing tonight?" Jude asked.

"I was thinking of buying a bottle of wine and going back to my hotel room to have some fun by myself."

"Would you like some company?"

"You asking me out?"

Jude chuckled, "Maybe. Are you going to say yes?"

Lennon nodded. "Yeah. I'm saying yes."

"I've got a better idea. How about after this protest, you can go and get ready and I'll pick you up? I don't think you've seen _all_ of Woodstock yet."

"I haven't… No."

"Great. It's a date."

Lennon smiled shyly, an innocent blush appearing on her cheeks. "A date?"

"Mhm. A _date_ ," Jude replied. He winked down at her before walking back to gather more signatures.

Lennon smiled to herself once he left. She had to distract herself, so she continued to take photos. When she saw Jude again, he smiled directly at the camera.

Once she took the photo, Lennon looked over at him and noticed him grinning.

Lennon was expecting to find more information about her parents, but she wasn't expecting to meet someone as charming, funny, and laid back as Jude was.


	4. Chapter 4

Once Lennon made it back to her hotel room, she quickly went to the bathroom to take a brief shower. She didn't know why, but she was a bit nervous to go on this date with Jude. It had been a while since she even thought about dating and the last time she was in a relationship, it ended horribly.

She thought about her parents, about Grace, about the people in Woodstock, and especially about Jude. People were so quick to welcoming strangers in this town that she finally realized why her mother had decided to stay here, aside from her father being one of the reason.

Lennon couldn't imagine having a bad day while living in this town. Everyone seemed to be happy and carefree.

She finished her shower and decided to pull on black floral shorts that slightly loosened at the ends. Lennon then slipped on a regular white t-shirt and tied a knot in the front so that it rested just at the waistband of her shorts. She rubbed the towel along her dampened locks, allowing it to air dry into her normal waves.

Lennon was just about to lie down before she heard a knock at her door. She smiled to herself, but felt the nerves pick up once more. With a heavy sigh, Lennon slowly walked to the door. She couldn't help but wonder why Jude wanted to go out with her. She just hoped that he didn't think she was the type of woman who simply wanted a one-night stand. Though, Lennon wouldn't mind. It had been a while since she slept with a man and she, too, had needs.

Once at the door, Lennon turned the handle and opened it slowly.

Jude stood at the other side of the door clad in his usual plaid shirt that was buttoned just enough to reveal a few chest hairs. The sleeves of his shirt were folded to his elbows, revealing a few tattoos that Lennon was instantly interested in. His dark jeans accentuated his long legs and his brown boots tied the outfit together. Jude removed his sunglasses and ran a hand through his disheveled hair, smiling instantly down at Lennon.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," she replied.

"I hope you don't mind riding on the back of my motorcycle."

"That must be why your hair is a mess," Lennon teased, slipping her sandals on and grabbing her bag and camera. "You don't mind if I take my camera with me, do you?"

Jude smiled, shaking his head. "Of course not. I'll even let you take a few photos of me," he winked.

"Oh, I always wanted to dabble in portraiture." Lennon teased, draping her camera and bag across her body before leaving her hotel room. She followed him to his motorcycle where Jude handed her a helmet.

"Have you ever ridden a motorcycle before?" Jude asked, slipping his own helmet on.

"Nope, but I always wanted to."

"Are you afraid of going fast?"

"I think going fast is the only way to ride a motorcycle, right?" Lennon smiled, placing the helmet over her head and fastening the strap.

Jude grinned, "I'm glad you said that because then I don't have to worry if my speed will be a problem or not."

"Now I'm definitely going to expect you to go fast," she grinned.

Jude climbed onto his motorcycle and then extended a hand out for her to take. Lennon smiled, taking his hand eagerly and climbing onto the back.

"You may want to remove your sandals, Lennon."

She nodded, grabbing her sandals and placing them inside her bag.

"Not afraid to get your feet dirty?" Jude asked.

"That's the least of my worries. Besides, a little dirt never hurt anyone," Lennon answered. She wrapped her arms around his waist and grinned. "I'm ready."

"Where have you been this entire time? I think you belong in Woodstock," Jude teased.

She giggled, squeezing her arms before allowing herself to relax. It felt nice to be this close to a man again. Suddenly, Lennon was taken out of her thoughts when she heard the engine roaring to life.

"Hang on," Jude said over his shoulder.

With a gentle push, Jude merged onto the main road and sped away from the curb that he was parked at. He had forgotten what it was like to have a woman who was interested in him. Majority of the women who were in Woodstock knew about him and his relationship with Grace, but even then, no one ever caught his interest.

Until Lennon decided to stroll into this small town and make her presence known. He had no idea what this meant for him or for her, but he didn't want to dwell on it. Right now, Jude was going to have fun and he was going to show Lennon the beauty of Woodstock.

At a stoplight, Jude turned his head to look over at Lennon who was looking around the small town with a big grin on her face. He didn't know why, but he felt a sudden rush of happiness at the sight of her smile.

"I want to show you a hidden place," Jude said.

"Let's go. I'm up for an adventure," she replied.

Jude smiled to himself, speeding away once the light turned green. He continued to ride through the main road before turning to an off-road. Cole had told him about this area and he hoped that it would be worth the view since the sun was getting ready to set.

After thirty minutes of maneuvering along this mountain, Jude turned the motorcycle off once they were at a cliff overlooking a lake and the mountains. It looked gorgeous and he made a mental note to thank Cole later.

Jude removed his helmet and felt Lennon remove her arms from his waist. He bit his lower lip, glancing over at her once she climbed off the back of his motorcycle. Jude watched as she removed her helmet, running her hands through her wavy locks as the wind breezed past her.

She looked like a goddess.

"Wow…" Lennon smiled, looking out to the view. She brought her camera to her face and began taking photos, unaware that Jude had been watching her admiringly.

He grabbed a blanket from his backpack and draped it on the ground, taking a seat before he motioned for Lennon to sit next to him.

"Put the camera down for a second and enjoy the view," he teased.

"I am enjoying the view… Through my lens."

"Oh, you're such a smartass," Jude chuckled.

Lennon removed her bag and set it on the blanket before sitting next to him. She set her camera down for a moment and crossed her legs in a criss-crossed manner. She glanced over at him, smiling to herself. She felt like a high school teenager out on a date with her boyfriend.

"Do you bring all your potential women out here?" Lennon teased, smiling over at him.

"Just the pretty ones," he grinned.

"You think I'm pretty?" She looked up at him, playfully batting her eyelashes.

"More or less," he teased.

Lennon playfully shoved him, laughing quietly to herself. Jude chuckled, resting his hands on the blanket. One hand rested just near her hip and he felt her inch closer to him. He was sure that she was interested in him as much as he was interested in her.

"How long have you lived in Woodstock?" Lennon asked.

"Couple of years now. Grace helped me back on my feet. I hit rock bottom a few times and then I found this place."

"Grace is an amazing woman. She's told me stories about my parents and for some reason, I look at her and think of what my mom would have been like if she was still alive. She probably wouldn't be growing weed, but other than that, I think they're similar in personalities," Lennon said.

Jude laughed quietly, "I know you've been here a few days, but have you ever wondered what it would have been like if you lived here? Do you think your life would be different?"

"Oh, definitely. My grandparents showed me photos of this place when I was younger. I was always so fascinated by it. If my parents were still alive, I know for sure I would have never become a photographer."

"What's the best thing about being a photographer? I can't imagine all the tricks and secrets you must have from being one."

Lennon looked over at him, smiling to herself. It was "golden hour" as she liked to call it. The sun was slowly beginning to set that it casted a softer light. As she was staring at Jude, she noticed how the natural light was accentuating Jude's natural features.

Without replying to his question, Lennon took her camera and took a photo of him. He was smiling to himself, unaware that she had been staring at him. When he heard the click of her camera, he turned to face her and noticed the camera pointing directly at him.

"You took a picture of me?"

Lennon nodded, showing him the photo. "This is what's the best thing about being a photographer."

"What? A sexy subject?" Jude smirked.

"No, silly. You never know how the photo will turn out and no matter how many times you take the same picture, there will always be one that will stand out from the rest. Also, pictures captivate certain emotions that are intimate to other people. Like this. Your smile… It's so genuine and if a stranger were to see this, they'd immediately smile."

"Why would they smile? Because I'm so handsome?"

Lennon laughed quietly, "You're just trying to get me to agree with you, aren't you?"

"I don't know. It hasn't worked yet."

She shook her head, smiling to herself. They were both looking down at the photo on the screen of her camera, their heads closer to one another.

"Strangers would smile at this photo because it represents happiness, your carefree nature that in the midst of all the dangers in the world, a smile like this should never go unnoticed. It reminds them that sometimes a smile will light up the darkness in this world," Lennon finished, biting her lower lip. "Okay, I'm sorry. That was –"

"It's beautiful. What you said… You're right."

"You're just saying that…"

"No, look. Here. Give me the camera." Jude said, extending a hand out for her.

"But…"

"I won't drop it. I promise." Hesitantly, Lennon handed the camera to Jude and arched a brow. When she noticed that he was simply scrolling through various photos that she had taken, she took this opportunity to look out to the view. She smiled to herself at how beautiful it was.

Then, she heard a click. Lennon turned her head to look at Jude. It seemed like the roles were now reversed.

"What did you do?" She asked.

"I took a photo of you. Look." Lennon looked down at the photo that he had taken. She bit her lower lip. She never liked pictures taken of her.

"Your smile lights up the darkness in this world," Jude repeated. "You're right. We protest against war and hate and try to spread the message about love and peace that we're looking in the wrong place. This picture… It reminds me that sometimes a smile is all you need to send a message."

"You just turned what I said against me," Lennon smiled.

"Not against you. I'm agreeing with you and I'm proving it by showing you a photo of _yourself_. Now, how about we take one together before the sun disappears?" Jude suggested.

Lennon shrugged a shoulder, "I don't know. I don't like having my picture taken."

"Well, that's too bad. I want some memory of today." Jude smiled, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to his side. He held the camera away from their faces and glanced down at her before smiling directly at the camera.

With a quiet click, Jude brought the camera closer to them and kept his arm wrapped around her. He felt her lean her head against him before he glanced down at the picture.

Lennon immediately smiled to herself. So did Jude.

"See? Two smiles are better than one," he commented.

"You just wanted a picture with me," she teased.

"Maybe…"

Lennon smiled and allowed herself to lean against him. She watched him set her camera down before they both were watching the sun begin to set behind the mountains. She couldn't believe that since coming to Woodstock, she would be welcomed with open arms. She had never felt this welcomed by a community ever in her life.

It made her feel like she belonged here, like this was her _home_.

"You want to grab something to eat?" Jude asked, interrupting the comfortable silence.

"I'd like that, yeah." Lennon stood up, grabbing her camera and bag to drape it across her chest before she helped Jude fold the blanket. "Thanks for bringing me out here, Jude."

"It's no problem, really. I've always wanted to see what the view was all about. I'm glad I did and I'm glad it was with you."

"You've never been here?" Lennon asked, biting her lower lip.

"Nope. Though, I'm sure I'll come back here more often."

"Hopefully not without me," she added, walking to his motorcycle and slipping the helmet on.

Jude set the blanket back into his bag before climbing onto his motorcycle, smiling to himself at her statement.

"Oh, I'm bringing you everywhere with me from now on," he teased.

"I wouldn't mind. You seem to know where the beautiful spots are."

Jude smiled, helping her onto the back of his motorcycle. He grinned to himself when he felt her arms wrap around him once more. He reached down and let his fingertips run across the back of her hand before sighing contentedly to himself. He didn't know if it was a good idea to get attached to someone who wasn't going to stay in Woodstock, but it was a risk he was willing to take.

With a roar to his engine, Jude carefully led them away from the mountain and back onto the road. The sun had set, but the sky was painted with colors of orange and blue. It was beautiful and Lennon couldn't help but squeeze him slightly before allowing herself to rest her cheek against the back of his shoulder.

Once they made it back downtown of Woodstock, Jude pulled up to a curb in front of a small restaurant. He turned his motorcycle off and climbed off, extending a hand out for Lennon. She removed her helmet, setting it on the seat of the bike. Hesitantly, she took a step forward and unbuckled the strap of Jude's helmet and removed it from his head, watching as his hand ran through his disheveled hair.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"The helmet wasn't helping your rugged look," she teased.

"Does that mean you're warming up to my beard and shaggy hair?"

"Mm… _Maybe_."

"I'll take that as a yes," Jude grinned, leading her to the small restaurant and holding the door open for her.

Lennon stepped inside, watching as the workers and few of the customers turned their heads to see the pair walk in.

"Hey, Jude. Want a booth?" A woman asked.

"That'd be great, Sarah. Thanks."

Sarah led them to a small booth and set down menus onto the table. Jude motioned for Lennon to take a seat first before he slid into the seat across from her.

"You want anything to drink, honey?" Sarah asked, looking over at Lennon and then over at Jude.

"I'll get a beer. What about you, Lennon?"

"Do you have a glass of wine? If not, I'm fine with a beer too."

"You've got a classy one, Jude," she teased, causing Lennon to giggle.

"In that case, I'll get a beer." Lennon said, watching as the woman nodded with a polite smile. She walked away from the table before Lennon opened the menu to look down at the variety of food.

After a few minutes, Lennon shut her menu and looked up at him. It didn't look like he opened his own menu to look at the food choices.

"Do you know what you want?" Lennon asked.

"Oh yeah. I knew it before we even stepped inside. What about you? Did you decide what you want to eat?"

"Yeah. Their burgers look amazing, so I think I'm going to go ahead and get that."

Sarah walked to their table, setting down their beers and also an extra glass of water. She pulled out her small notepad and looked over at Jude.

"The usual, handsome?" She asked.

Jude smiled, "You know it, Sarah."

"And what about you, darling? What can I get for you?"

"A bacon cheeseburger with fries, please." Lennon smiled, grabbing both their menus to hand to Sarah once she finished writing down their orders.

"You got it. The food will be out shortly."

"Thanks, Sarah," Jude called.

Lennon grabbed her beer, taking a sip of the alcohol and making a face at the bitter taste. Jude laughed quietly, shaking his head.

"I'll be right back," he said.

Jude stood up from the booth, grabbing her beer and walking to the counter to speak with Sarah. Lennon bit her lower lip, watching as Sarah handed him a glass of red wine before she dropped her eyes. Lennon didn't know why she decided to drink beer. She was aware that Jude knew how much she hated it.

"All right. I've got your glass of wine, m'lady."

"I'm sorry. I thought I could drink beer," she said, sipping at the wine and smiling instantly at the taste.

"I don't know why you try to drink beer when you don't like it."

"I don't know either," Lennon shrugged, looking over at him.

Jude smiled, taking a swig of his beer before setting it down.

"You know, I had fun," Jude said.

"I did too…"

"We should do it again."

"I don't know how long I'll be staying here, Jude."

"Stay another week. We've got a festival coming up next weekend. At least stay until then."

"What's the festival for?" Lennon asked.

"It's the annual musical and art festival. We've got musical performances. Vendors for food, clothes, and art. All local, too."

"That sounds fun. Okay. I'll stay until then."

Jude grinned, "Great. Since you're staying another week, we can go out again tomorrow night."

"Is that your way of asking me out again?"

"I wasn't really asking… It was more of a statement."

"Oh, but what if I had other plans? What if another guy asked me out?" Lennon teased.

Jude narrowed his eyes. "Ooh, you play hard to get, don't you?"

"I do like a game of a little cat and mouse," she laughed quietly.

"I don't mind chasing you around," Jude commented.

"It seems like that way, doesn't it?"

"Doesn't seem like you mind."

"Well, you're cute, so I'll give you that," Lennon complimented.

"Wait. You called me cute and I didn't have to trick you into saying it? Oh, Lennon. I think we're getting somewhere."

She blushed, dropping her gaze to her glass of wine. Lennon loved how easy it was to slip in a teasing banter with him, but the moment she let a compliment slip past her lips, she knew there was no turning back.

"I knew you liked the rugged look," Jude teased.

Lennon looked up at him and crumpled a napkin to playfully toss it at him. She watched it bounce off his forehead and land into his lap. She giggled quietly, shaking her head as a smile of amusement splayed on Jude's lips.

"I'm not going to reply to that."

"But by not replying, you do know you're secretly agreeing with me, right?" Jude smiled.

Lennon laughed quietly, shaking her head. She glanced over at Sarah who walked to their table to set their food down. She could feel Jude's eyes on her and she tried her best to not look up at him; her cheeks were still pink.

"She's blushing, isn't she, Sarah?" Jude grinned.

"Jude, leave the poor girl alone."

"Thank you. He likes to tease me," Lennon smiled, not realizing how dirty that sounded.

"Oh, I'm sure he does," Sarah winked, walking away.

"Oh god. I didn't mean it like that," Lennon said embarrassingly, covering her face with her hands as the blush in her cheeks reddened even further.

Jude, on the other hand, was chuckling to himself. "I _can_ tease you if you'd like," he smirked.

Lennon looked up at him, narrowing her eyes playfully. "You know, the next time we're near a pool of water, I'm going to push you in."

Jude laughed, "I sure hope you do because then if I'm going in the water, I'll be sure to bring you with me."

* * *

After their dinner, Jude decided to walk Lennon back to her hotel. It was only a ten-minute walk anyway. When Lennon shivered, Jude quickly ran to his bike to grab a jacket from his bag before he draped it around her shoulders.

"Wouldn't want you getting sick when we have another date tomorrow," he said.

Lennon looked up at him and smiled, snuggling into the jacket. She inhaled the cologne that lingered and smiled to herself, feeling his arm wrap around her shoulders. Lennon leaned against him, resting her cheek against his shoulder absently.

"It's been a while since I had gone on a date, Jude. So, thank you for today." Lennon said, glancing up at him as they continued to walk downtown Woodstock.

"It's been a while for me too, but you don't need to thank me. I had just as much fun."

They remained quiet for the remainder of the walk, simply enjoying each other's presence and company. Jude reveled in the fact that she had rested her cheek against him which allowed him to pull her closer to his side.

Though, once at her hotel room, Lennon turned around and removed the jacket from around her shoulders to hand back to him. Jude simply shook his head.

"You may get cold on the walk back," Lennon said, biting her lower lip.

"That's okay. Keep it until tomorrow. This time I'll be the Cinderella and leave something of mine," Jude smiled.

Lennon nodded. She wanted to invite him inside, but she knew that while she was ready to date, a part of her wasn't ready to take that next step.

"So –"

"I'll see you tomorrow, Lennon. Good night," Jude interrupted. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, smiling to himself.

"Oh, okay. Good night, Jude. Get home safely," she replied, opening the door of her hotel room and stepping inside once he began walking away.

Lennon smiled to herself once she was alone. He didn't expect anything of her; he was such a gentleman. She didn't know how she would be able to go back home now that she had a reason to stay at Woodstock.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** I know this update is long overdue, but it just made me realize how much I missed writing this story hehe. They do say that distance makes the heart grow fonder (?), right… LOL. Anyway, enjoy! Tensions are rising and a specific scene from the movie happens in this story ;)

* * *

The weekend of the music and art festival approached and Lennon was more than excited. Spending another week in Woodstock made her think about the possibility of moving here. Plus, she spent every day with Jude and she was beginning to develop feelings for him. Though, she wondered when he would make the first move and kiss her already.

Lennon decided to visit Grace. She was dressed in a white spaghetti strapped loose dress that flowed loosely around her frame. It was perfect for today's hot weather.

Once arriving to Grace's house, she followed her down to one of her abandoned rooms to see a variety of clothing.

"What are – "

"Oh, here it is!" Grace said, rummaging through a box before she retrieved a handmade flower crown with roses. Tiny roses was placed onto the band of the crown, spacing it out evenly to make it look very subtle.

Slowly, Grace placed the crown on Lennon's head and smiled once she pulled away.

"You look just like your mother, Lenn.."

Lennon grinned, looking at the mirror. She let her fingertips brush against the roses before instantly wrapping her arms around the older woman.

"Thank you for welcoming me into this community, Grace. I don't know how I'll ever leave," she said.

"Why do you have to leave? I'm sure you have more than a few reasons to stay," Grace winked.

"Are you talking about –"

"Jude. He's very fond of you, you know."

"How do you know…?"

"He visits me sometimes. You know, I like to make sure that he's doing okay. He couldn't stop talking about your dates," the older woman smiled.

Lennon blushed, dropping her eyes to her feet. Slowly, Grace hooked a finger under her chin to look up.

"I know you like him too. Take a chance."

"Our dates have been very fun," Lennon replied.

Grace led her out to the car, motioning for her to climb in. She smiled and sat in the passenger seat, buckling her seatbelt. Lennon made sure that the flower crown was still placed at the top of her head.

"Jude says you two haven't kissed yet."

"Well, no…"

"What's taking you both so long, then?" Grace pried, smirking in Lennon's direction.

The older woman began driving away from her house and to the festival downtown. Lennon could see a variety of tents set up along the grassy area of the large park. She was excited to see what kinds of art they provided and to hear the variety of music.

"I don't know. I guess we're just taking our time."

"Hm… Well, time's a ticking, Lennon."

She nodded in response, keeping her eyes out the window. When Grace parked her car, she led her to a booth that served alcohol. Lennon smiled, paying for a glass of red wine before someone singing caught her attention.

"I'm going to check out the music," Lennon called to Grace.

"Of course, honey. I'll be around, so just look for me if you need anything."

Lennon smiled, walking towards the open area before her eyes caught sight of Jude with his guitar draped over his body. She bit her lower lip, sipping on her wine before she slowly swayed to the music that he was playing.

Jude immediately found her long before she noticed him. She looked beautiful. The flower crown was the perfect touch, too. It made her look adorably _beautiful_.

She smiled to herself, watching him with a glint of admiration in her eyes. Jude held the eye contact, even while he was singing and playing the guitar.

Lennon allowed her eyes to rake over his frame. He was wearing a white button down shirt that was unbuttoned to reveal the slight curls of his chest hair and a pair of jeans. He looked so relaxed, so rugged, so _handsome_.

After Jude's set was finished, he motioned for her to walk to the side of the stage. Lennon smiled, following instantly. Once she was near him, his arms wrapped around her waist to pull her into a hug.

"You look cute," he whispered.

Lennon blushed, pulling back to look up at him.

"When were you going to tell me that you played the guitar and you sing?"

"Surprise?" Jude chuckled, letting his fingertips run down her cheek before he dropped his hand to his side.

"You sounded good, really good. I'm shocked," Lennon smiled. "But I should have known. You're rugged. You ride a motorcycle. It would make sense that you're also a musician," she teased.

Jude laughed quietly, leading her away from the stage and towards the many vendors. He bought himself a beer and slowly moved his free arm to wrap around her shoulders. He had been seeing her consecutively every day for the past two weeks and he enjoyed every second of it.

Lennon was surprised to feel his arm wrap around her, but nonetheless, she leaned into him. She sipped at her glass of wine and followed him to each vendor. She looked up at him and abruptly leaned up to kiss his cheek.

Jude smiled to himself, dropping his hand from her shoulder to rest casually around her waist. He glanced down at her, watching as she looked at the passing vendors. When she finished her wine, she tossed the cup away and moved her hand to wrap around him.

He felt relaxed with her near his side.

"Hey, want to get outta here?" He asked.

Lennon looked up at him and smiled, "Sure. What did you have in mind?"

"You'll see."

Jude downed the rest of his beer before leading her to the same lake that he had at Grace's party. He smiled at her once they were standing at the edge of the dock once more.

"It's a beautiful day out." He said.

"It is and – "

Lennon turned her head in the direction of clothes rustling from his direction. She noticed him removing his shirt before his hands moved to his jeans.

"Jude…"

"I'm going to go for a dip. You are _more_ than welcome to join me," he winked.

Lennon widened her eyes and instantly placed her hands over them when she realized that Jude was pushing his boxers down with his pants. She heard a loud splash and looked down at the clothes that scattered on the dock.

Her eyes zeroed in on the boxers before she cleared her throat.

"Lennon…" Jude called, gently splashing her. "The water feels great. Come on, Lennon _Rose_. Jump in."

"No! I don't even have a bathing suit!"

"And neither do I. What's your other excuse? Live a little. Take a risk," Jude teased.

Lennon crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. "I do take a risk! I travel the world for a living."

"Then what's the problem? Get in here," he winked.

Lennon bit her lower lip and finally gave in. "Fine, fine."

Lennon removed her dress, letting it pool around her ankles and slowly set down the flower crown delicately on her clothing. She stepped out of her sandals, standing clad in her white lace undergarments.

"You don't have to remove your –" Jude began.

Lennon bit her lower lip and unclasped her bra, letting it fall to the dock before she bent down to remove her panties. Jude immediately looked away, covering his eyes to prevent himself from staring at her naked body.

She smiled to herself, jumping into the lake with a quiet splash. She slowly swam over to him, turning him around. Jude smiled at her, moving a hand to stroke his hair back and away from her face.

"Hey, Cinderella," he teased.

"Hi, Prince Charming." Lennon responded, leaning in to press her lips against his.

Jude was caught off guard. He wasn't expecting to have their first kiss floating in a lake, _naked_. He wouldn't complain, though. Her lips felt smooth and inviting and he wanted more.

Slowly, Jude moved a hand to cup her cheek, his hand moving lower to gently run his thumb along her throat.

Lennon slowly moved her lips against his, enjoying the way his beard felt against her skin. She pulled away from the kiss, only to move her lips along his jawline down to his neck. He tilted his head back, giving her more access as he groaned at the feel of her soft lips brushing against his many hot spots that littered along his neck.

"Lennon…" Jude whispered, slowly moving a hand underneath the water to her hip.

"I'm sorry…" Lennon said, pulling back to look into his eyes. Both shared a look of desire and lust.

"I was waiting for you to kiss me," he teased.

"Me? You're joking, right?"

Jude chuckled which caused Lennon to playfully splash him. He grinned, wrapping his arms around her tightly and holding her close against him. Lennon bit her lower lip, preventing a gasp to escape her lips when she felt his member press against her lower abdomen.

"I want you," she whispered, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"I know you do… I want you too."

Slowly, Lennon pulled away from him and began to swim back to the dock. He was following close behind, swimming after her with a confused look on his face. Though, that soon changed when he noticed her climb onto the dock.

Jude had a clear view of her bare body.

"Oh my god, Lennon…"

She bit her lower lip. While Lennon had days where she was self-conscious of her body, she also had days where her confidence was at an all-time high. Right now, she was more than confident. She was a woman who was going to get what she wanted.

"So, are you going to take me or what, Jude?" Lennon teased, running her own fingertips down her abdomen and dangerously close to her mound.

"Oh, I'm going to do more than that. I'm going to make you _mine_."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** I mean, who wouldn't pounce Jude while he's trying to play you a song? This is simply a filler to develop more of Jude and Lennon's new relationship! :)

Warning: SMUT!

* * *

Lennon and Jude had changed back into their clothes, dripping wet from their spontaneous swim in the lake. They were walking back to the festival now, hand in hand. Jude kept her close to his side, kissing her temple repeatedly.

It was then that he released her hand to rest it on her backside, feeling the absence of her panties. He grinned to himself. He had bunched it into his pocket, smirking when she allowed him to hold it.

"You do know we're going to walk through that festival in our wet clothes," she said.

"Believe me. This isn't even the worse this town has seen. Besides, we're heading to my truck and it's already nighttime."

"What do you have planned?" Lennon asked.

Jude smirked, "Well, I need to show you that you're mine, obviously."

"Oh, yeah. How could I forget?"

Lennon blushed. The only thing that crossed her mind was the sudden image that popped into her head. She was reminiscing their swim in the lake, the feel of his naked body against hers and the glimpse of his manhood when he climbed onto the dock.

The sexual tension was thick in the air and it was proof with the constant rubbing of his thumb against her backside. Once they made it to his truck, he looked down at her and pecked her lips. He knew he would never get enough of it.

"Can we get something to eat first?" Lennon asked.

"Sure. What would you like?"

"Maybe a box of pizza?"

"Good idea," he smiled.

Jude opened the door for her, watching her climb into the passenger seat. He allowed his eyes to rake over her backside before shutting the door once she was seated and buckled in. He walked around to the driver's side and hoisted himself into the seat, starting his truck immediately.

"How about a box of pizza and a night of stargazing?" Jude asked.

Lennon smiled, biting her lower lip once his hand rested on her thigh. "That sounds like a great idea, you hopeless romantic."

His button-down shirt was buttoned only halfway, revealing the dark curls on his chest. He looked so ruggedly handsome that Lennon wished that he could take her right then and there; she didn't care if it would cause an accident. She needed _him_.

After grabbing a box of pizza, Jude drove back to his house which had tons of spacious grass. He had so many acres that it was impossible that a man like him was able to live here all alone.

"Wait here," he said, kissing her cheek.

Lennon smiled, watching him run into his house. She leaned over to open the box of pizza, grabbing a slice and taking a bite. She groaned instantly, wiping her lips with the pad of her thumbs as she chewed the contents thoroughly.

Within minutes, Jude ran back to the truck and laid out a couple of pillows and a few blankets onto the back of his truck. It was then that Lennon realized he had his guitar there as well.

"You couldn't even wait for me to eat with you," he pouted.

"You didn't say to wait for you to eat. You just said wait here," she teased.

Jude laughed, shaking his head. "Okay, you make a good point."

They ate a few slices of pizza in silence, staring up at the starry night sky with such admiration. Lennon was never able to see this view back at home. While yes, she had seen many amazing views while on the job, nothing compared to this particular moment that she was sharing with Jude.

Jude set the box of pizza in the front dashboard, leaving more room for them to lie down on the back. Lennon lied down, staring up at the sky as she quietly heard the soft strumming from the guitar. Instantly, she looked over at Jude to see that his guitar was draped over his body and he was smiling, grinning. His dimples were in full effect and his messy hair and beard just added to the rugged look.

Lennon slowly sat up, smiling over at him. They were stuck in an endless gaze. With Jude's quiet strumming and their intense eye-lock, Lennon knew that leaving Woodstock was going to be difficult.

She didn't know what she was going to do now that she actually _liked_ someone.

"You're leaving in a few days," he said.

Lennon nodded. "Tuesday morning."

"Do you really have to go?"

"I don't know."

Jude removed his guitar, standing from the back of the truck to place it onto the driver's seat. With a quiet shut of the door, he walked back to climb onto the bed of the truck. He lied down and tugged Lennon down with him.

"Well, how about we not talk about you leaving and just enjoy right now?" He suggested.

"You're the one who brought it up, you dork," she smiled, poking his side.

Jude smiled, looking down at her before he leaned forward.

Lennon met him halfway, pressing their lips together almost instantly.

"Kissing under the stars?" She mumbled.

"Don't tell me it's something you never fantasize about," he grinned, slowly moving their lips together.

Jude's hand moved to cup the side of her neck, his thumb brushing lightly against her throat. His upper lip overlapped her lower one, feeling her tongue dart out to brush against his own.

Suddenly, Jude heard her whimper and he grinned against her lips. Slowly, Jude moved to lie atop of her, spreading her legs with his knee and moving his free hand to rest beside her head.

"Jude… Wait," she mumbled, pulling away from the heated kiss. Lennon immediately moaned quietly when she felt his lips move along her jawline down the side of her neck. His beard brushed against the sensitive of spots that scattered along her neck, causing her to whimper at the mere contact.

"Hm?" He mumbled, pulling back to look into her eyes.

"I like you," Lennon admitted.

Jude grinned, "Oh good. I would be worried if you didn't, you know, especially since I like you too."

"It's been a while… Since I've been with someone and just –"

"Take it slow?" Jude finished.

Lennon nodded embarrassingly. "I'm sorry. I'm ruining it, aren't I?"

"What? No, you aren't. If anything, I just got even more excited," he smiled, pressing his hips into hers.

Lennon gasped instantly at the feel of his hardening member from beneath his jeans. All she could think about was the glimpse she got earlier today.

"Jude…" She bit her lower lip, tilting her head back once his lips began moving down to her jawline. Lennon felt his strong hands slowly lift the bottom of her dress to her hips, glancing down simply to see her bare lower half.

"I am _so_ glad I have your panties," he smirked.

Lennon felt a blush appear along her neck, the anticipation running through her veins. She needed him and they both had done enough waiting.

Just before Lennon could let out a smart remark, she felt his fingertips ghost along her inner thighs before she felt the slightest of touches against her wet slit. It had been so long that she almost forgot what it felt like to have someone else, other than her, touch her most intimate area.

"You're wet," Jude said huskily.

"I've been thinking about our swim at the lake since we left…"

He arched a brow, propping himself up onto his hand as he began to tease her bundle of nerves. Jude smiled, watching her squirm at the grazing of his fingertips. He removed his hand to slowly lift her dress over her head, tossing it aside until he watched her reach behind her to unclasp her bra.

Slowly, Lennon removed the last fabric of clothing from her bare body and set it aside. She looked up at him, staring directly into his eyes before he ran his rough hand down the front of her chest to her flattened abdomen and back up.

She shivered against his touch, slowly sitting up to press her lips against his. Jude hummed against her, his hand moving to grasp her breast. She gasped against his lips which gave Jude the opportunity to flick his tongue against her opened mouth.

Jude didn't know how long he was going to last with her lying naked underneath him while he still had his clothes on. Lennon must have been thinking the same thing because her hands were quick to unbutton his buttons on his shirt, slowly pushing it past his shoulders to let it fall to the back of the truck.

Lennon pulled back from the kiss to move her lips along his jawline, his beard tickling her lips. She smiled to herself, slowly nipping her way down to his throat, sucking gently on his Adam's apple to hear a quiet groan escaping his lips. Her hands drop to the button on his pants, undoing it quickly with the swift motion of unzipping it as well.

Jude gently set her onto her back once more. He kicked off his pants and his boxers, watching Lennon remain eye contact with his erect member. He was throbbing in anticipation. She was lying down before him, ready to go and all he had to do was thrust into her.

Jude, however, wanted to take his time. This would be the first time they were to 'make love' and he wanted it to be meaningful. Spending time with her every day for the past week had showed him that there was a woman in this world that could be "the one" for him.

Lennon bit her lower lip at the sight of his erected manhood. She reached out and slowly wrapped a hand around his warmth, instantly whimpering. She could feel that he was throbbing with the need to push into her warm heat. Lennon extended her legs, allowing him to settle between them.

Jude smiled, leaning down to peck her lips as he groaned when he felt her thumb brush against the head of his member. He could feel her slick heat radiating from the close proximity within their lower halves. Gently, he removed her hand from his member and gently kissed her knuckles.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Jude asked.

Lennon smiled, reaching up to cup his cheek. "More than okay with it, Jude."

He nodded, smiling to himself. He rested a hand near her head and moved a hand to grasp his member. Jude kept their eyes locked, running the tip of his manhood along her slick heat. He groaned immediately, slowly pushing himself past her folds and into her warm heat.

Lennon gasped, spreading her legs even further as if it would accommodate his length. It had been such a long time since she was intimate with another man that it was going to take a while to grow accustomed to Jude's girth.

His hand dropped to rest at the other side of her head, looking into her eyes. Slowly, he began moving his hips. Jude groaned at the tightness of her walls, feeling her tightness stroke his throbbing member with each movement.

Lennon moved her hands to cup his cheeks, staring into his eyes. She moaned with every thrust, but the fact that they were holding intense eye contact and having sex in the back of his truck underneath the stars seemed like it belonged in a movie.

Ever since she came to Woodstock, everything in her life had fallen into place. Lennon felt lost for quite some time and Woodstock reminded her of her true self.

Jude was a big part of that.

Suddenly, she was taken out of her thoughts when Jude snapped his hips roughly into her. She moaned loudly, feeling the entirety of his member. It was almost painful to be completely full of him, but she loved it.

Jude finally broke the eye contact to bury his face against her neck. His hands moved to wrap around her waist, slightly lifting her to gain a better angle. Without any warning, he began to slam into her repeatedly. The sounds of her moans mixing in with the slapping of their skin aroused him even further. It had been such a long time since he had sex with a woman because he liked her.

And for some reason, that thought along slightly terrified him. He wanted nothing more than to show Lennon that he could be the guy, the _reason_ for her to stay in Woodstock.

Lennon didn't know how long she would last with each of his rough thrusts. It was as if he wanted to make sure she understood that she was now _his_ and she loved every second of it. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her nails slightly digging into his back as he slammed into her, causing her to shift upwards with each thrust.

Jude breathed heavily against her ear, grunting against her. Lennon felt safe in this moment. She felt safe, she felt like she finally belonged somewhere. In his arms, under the stars, in his presence, Lennon knew that it was going to be difficult to leave.

But then she wondered, did she really have to?

"Fuck," he growled against her, causing Lennon's eyes to fall shut.

She was close.

Jude knew.

Suddenly, he grasped her hips tightly and began a faster pace. Her tightened walls continued to milk him until his own release but the moment he slammed into her, Jude knew that she had reached her high.

Lennon gasped, her toes curling at the sudden pleasure that washed over her body. She shook slightly with the intensity of her climax, rolling her hips rapidly against his as he remained still.

She continued to ride out her climax before Jude began his own sloppy thrusts. Her walls had tightened even further and after a few more movements, he pulled out and stroked himself. Jude tossed his head back and shut his eyes, a quiet groan escaping his lips before he released on her lower abdomen.

Lennon breathed heavily, watching him with a small smile. Once Jude came down from his high, he excused himself to grab a few napkins he kept in the dashboard. He walked back to the back of the truck and wiped her clean before he lied next to her. Instantly, he wrapped his arms around her frame and held her to him tightly.

"That was amazing," she mumbled.

Jude grinned, "You're amazing."

Lennon blushed. "That's debatable, simply because you're amazing as well."

"Well, Cinderella wouldn't work without her Prince Charming, right?"

"You're right," she smiled, leaning up to peck his lips.

Jude smiled, grabbing a thicker blanket to cover their bare bodies. He looked up at the starry sky and smiled, keeping her close to his side. He felt their legs tangle with one another and when he looked down at her, he noticed that her gaze was on the stars as well.

He was going to make sure that she was going to rethink her decision on leaving because he didn't think he could let her go.

Jude needed her.

Lennon didn't know it, but she needed him too.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** I can't get enough of this character. JDM looks so ruggedly handsome like? DAMN. Like honestly, this chapter is _filled_ with **smut**! So beware. I hope you enjoy this! :)

Warning: SMUT!

* * *

The following morning, Lennon awoke in Jude's arms. He had brought them back into his house for a night filled with intense passion. She couldn't believe that he was even able to go multiple rounds.

She quietly stood from the bed, kissing his cheek and picking up his white button down shirt to pull on. Lennon watched him shift on the bed, moving to lie on his back. She let her eyes rake through his bare chest down to the planes of his abdomen before seeing a trail of hair disappear underneath the sheet.

She bit her lower lip and grinned, crawling at the foot of his bed before slowly tugging the sheet away from his body. When Lennon noticed his member resting against his thigh, she smiled mischievously and darted her tongue out to run across his tip.

Jude shifted, grunting lowly under his breath. She slowly wrapped her hand around his member, holding it steady before her lips wrapped around his warm tip.

She kept her eyes focused on him, remaining on her knees. She didn't know what possessed her to do something like this, but after last night, Lennon wanted more.

As she began to take more of his member, Lennon watched as his eyes slowly fluttered open. He looked disoriented, but a strained moan escaped his lips. He certainly wasn't expecting to be woken up this way.

" _Fuck_ ," Jude grunted.

Lennon grinned, pulling back with a quiet _pop_ escaping her lips once she pulled away from his member.

"Morning," she smiled, stroking the base of his member as she darted her tongue out to tease his tip.

" _Good_ morning it sure is," he replied. "You're such a dirty girl."

"As long as I'm yours, I'm okay with that."

Lennon then wrapped her lips back around his member and began to bob her head in sync with the movements of her hand. She lubricated his manhood with her own saliva, watching as his eyes rolled shut and his hands moved to hold her hair back.

Lennon loved the way he held back his moans which turned into quiet grunts. She could tell that the surprise blowjob was making him reach his climax quicker than he was used to. When she lowered her head until her nose touched the skin at his lower abdomen, Jude growled, pushing further into her mouth.

She gagged, feeling the tip of his dick hit the back of her throat. She never knew that she was able to do that until Jude tested her boundaries. Lennon loved it. She loved it so much that she was willing to wake him up every morning just like this.

"Oh fuck," Jude groaned, his hips thrusting upwards without any thought about him slamming into her throat.

Lennon knew her throat would be sore later today, but she didn't mind. It would be _another_ reminder of the next level of their relationship. The bruises on her hips and along her chest were enough proof of how intense their love session was last night.

Suddenly, Jude thrusted once more before Lennon tasted his release. Without another thought, she instantly swallowed and continued to bob her head slowly. After a few more moments, she pulled away and smiled, licking her lips slowly.

"Mmmm," she teased.

Jude breathed heavily against the mattress, tugging her down to lie next to him. Instantly, he turned his head to place kisses along her neck, nipping gently along the way to her collarbone.

"You're a minx," he growled.

"Oh, but you love it," she smiled, gasping once she felt his large hand connect with her bare backside.

"And I love that you're also wearing my shirt. You look beautiful," Jude smiled, pulling back to look down at her.

"Well, thank _you_. I didn't mean to jump you, by the way."

"Oh, yeah right."

"No, honestly! I was just – I needed you."

Jude narrowed his eyes, "I'm going to have to return the favor real soon."

"If you do that, we're never leaving this house."

"I certainly wouldn't mind."

Lennon laughed, replying, "I know you wouldn't, but we'd never get anything done."

Jude grinned, "You sure about that?"

"Oh, I'm positive."

Lennon stood from the bed once more and extended a hand out for Jude to take. He grinned, flashing her his dimpled smile and took her hand into his own. He stood up, leaning down to peck her lips lightly.

"Thank you for this amazing mood that I am currently in," he mumbled.

"You are _so_ welcome."

* * *

"So, I want you to get all dressed up tonight. I want to take you out for drinks and dancing," Jude said, taking a bite of his toast and a sip of his coffee. He was dressed in a pair of boxers and sweats, leaving the t-shirt off which Lennon certainly didn't mind.

"Dancing?" She asked.

"Yes. You know how to dance, right?"

"Of course I do. I'm just trying to picture _you_ dancing and somehow, it's not coming to mind."

"You underestimate my ability, Lennon."

She giggled, leaning against him. "I guess you'll have to prove yourself to me, huh?"

"Oh, be prepared to be impressed."

Lennon smiled in his direction, abruptly kissing his cheek. She pulled away with a slight blush and his eyes instantly moved to her, smiling to himself.

"I'll pick you up at seven."

"Sounds like a date," she nodded.

"At this rate, I should probably start calling you my girlfriend, you know."

Lennon grinned, "Girlfriend, huh?"

"I mean, you are _mine_ ," Jude said, his hand moving to rest on her bare thigh.

"And just like you're mine."

"Then, it's settled. You're my girlfriend."

"I feel like we're in high school," she teased.

"Well, I like you and you like me. Might as well put a title on it. Plus, we've been on more than three dates and we both waited to kiss one another and then have sex. It's great," Jude smiled.

"I'm glad I'm taking my time with you," she admitted.

"Me too. It makes it more special."

Lennon continued eating, feeling his fingertips run across the inside of her thigh. She gasped when she felt his fingertip brush against her clothed sex.

"You're wet?" He asked, surprised.

"You're not wearing a shirt…"

Jude grinned, "That's all it'll take?"

"I mean, you look into my eyes or even smile and it's like waterfalls down there."

"Always ready for me. I like that."

Suddenly, he lowered his boxers and sweatpants past his hips to reveal his erected manhood. Lennon gasped instantly, feeling his strong hands rest on her hips to pull her onto his lap.

Jude bit his lower lip, pushing aside Lennon's panties with one hand as the other grasped his member to align with her opening. Jude then pressed the head of his member against her clit, causing her to gasp at the contact.

"Jude…"

"Just like you needed me this morning… I need you _now_." He growled and lifted her hips slowly. Jude stared up at Lennon, instantly grabbing her hip with one hand to slam her down onto his throbbing dick.

Lennon gasped, her hands instantly moving to grasp the back of his chair. Her legs draped over his own at either side of him, spreading herself open for him. She felt all of his manhood within her depths, causing her to moan quietly at the slightest of movements.

"So wet… And so _tight_ ," Jude mumbled, leaning forward to rest his forehead against her collarbone.

Slowly, Jude lifted her hips just slightly before his hips began to move upwards. Lennon felt each inch of his member brush along her walls, bringing her closer and closer to her need for release.

Suddenly, though, Jude lifted Lennon's legs to place atop of his shoulders. It allowed him to move deeper within her tight heat and caused her to open up further. She kept her hands on the back of the chair, instantly using that as leverage to bring herself closer to him.

"Jude…" Lennon moaned, her eyes falling shut.

Jude growled at her movements. He needed more friction. He needed speed. Jude wrapped his arms around Lennon's waist to keep her still against him, standing up carefully. He pressed her against the wall with her legs still draped over his shoulders before his hips began to come in contact with her own.

Instantly, his hands dropped to her backside, holding her steady against him. With each thrust, Jude felt him move deeper within her depths. She felt amazing and her walls tightened around him with each movement.

"Jude, please…" She moaned, tossing her head back against the wall. She felt herself being pushed upwards with each of his hard thrusts.

Lennon was close and as her arms wrapped around his shoulders, she instantly dug her nails into his back once he slammed into her. He had hit her sweet spot, causing her to tighten around him abruptly.

"Jude!" She exclaimed in sheer pleasure.

Jude wasn't expecting her to reach her high that quick, but with her tightness and the sounds of pleasure she was making, he was following quickly after her. After a few more thrusts, he pulled out of her and quickly released along her lower abdomen. Jude shuddered in sheer pleasure, gently bringing her to his couch. He set her down and grunted quietly, kissing along her collarbone.

"Damn, that was –"

"Amazing. I've never been taken against the wall before," Lennon finished, smiling against his kisses.

"Really?" He asked, lifting his head to look up at her.

"Mhm. Plus, I'm already getting wet just from how deep you were."

Jude narrowed his eyes, reaching down to run his fingertip along her slit. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and smirked, "You really are getting wet."

"The things you do to me, Jude."

He chuckled, pecking her lips.

* * *

Later that night, Lennon changed into a chic black dress with a deep low v-neck, capped sleeves, and an asymmetrical skirt. She let her hair down in waves, applying a light amount of make-up. Jude mentioned that he loved seeing her in red lipstick, so she added a decent amount of red to her lips.

When she heard a knock at her hotel door, Lennon grinned. Slipping on her black heels and fixing her dress, she walked to the door and slowly opened it.

Jude stood behind the door dressed in his usual denim button up, but instead of his baggy denim jeans, he changed it to a skinnier set of black jeans. The buttons at the top were undone, revealing a small patch of chest hair.

"Hi…" Lennon smiled.

Jude looked at her from top to bottom. She looked amazing, just like she always did. He extended a hand for her and gently took ahold of her own, slowly twirling her in front of him. His eyes deviated to her backside, loving how skin tight the dress was.

"You look gorgeous," he smiled. "And those lips? Red's a beautiful color on you."

Lennon blushed, leaning up to peck his lips lightly. She used the pad of her thumb to wipe away any red tint that was left on his own.

"A little birdie told me he loved seeing me wear red lipstick."

Jude chuckled, his eyes deviating to the low cut of your top. He reached up and let his fingertips run down your chest, biting his lower lip.

"I'm so ready to impress you," he winked.

Lennon stepped out of her hotel room and took Jude's hand, following him out to his truck that was parked along the curb.

"You look nice, by the way," Lennon complimented. "You look amazing in these jeans too."

"I'm glad you like it."

Jude opened the door for her, watching her carefully sit in the passenger seat. He smiled to himself and walked around to the climb into the driver's seat once he had shut the door. Jude's hand instinctively rested on her upper thigh, brushing against her soft skin.

Once they made it to the bar, Lennon could hear the loud music blaring from inside. She was excited to be able to make their relationship public to the small town. Now that she had Jude, her decision to stay was going to be more difficult.

She didn't know how she could leave.

Stepping into the bar, Lennon noticed many familiar faces. She even noticed Grace on the dance floor. Not only was Jude the main factor in her decision to stay, but she was beginning to love how close the community was with one another.

"You want a drink?" Jude whispered in her ear, talking over the loud music.

Lennon nodded, taking his hand and leading him to the bar.

"Can I get a shot of tequila?" Lennon asked.

Jude arched a brow, grinning. "Ooh, changing it up?"

"I'm ready to let loose. It's been a long time since I've gone out dancing."

Once the bartender placed a shot of tequila onto the counter, Lennon smiled in Jude's direction. She lifted the small shot glass and instantly downed the hard liquor, feeling it burn in her throat. She set the glass onto the counter as Jude noticed the stain of her red lipstick.

"I'll get a beer," Jude told the bartender.

The bartender handed Jude an opened bottle of beer. Lennon turned her back to Jude, slowly moving her hips while they were standing at the bar. Jude took a long swig of his alcoholic beverage, watching as her backside swayed from side to side.

Suddenly, Lennon pushed back against him, grinning once his hand instantly rested onto her hip. Jude downed the rest of his drink, setting it on the counter as he held up a finger to the bartender, allowing Lennon to dance against him while he talked.

"Open a tab up for me," he said, grunting at the feel of Lennon rolling her hips against his. When the bartender nodded, Jude led her to the dance floor with his arms wrapped around her waist.

Once at the dance floor in the midst of the gyrating bodies, Jude slowly moved his hips against hers. He felt her press against him, causing friction to run through his veins with each roll of her hips.

"I'm going to lift your dress up right here, right now and slam into you if you don't stop teasing me," Jude threatened, growling against her ear.

Lennon shivered, shutting her eyes and allowing the music to move her body. Slowly, she turned around to face him, bringing her hands to run through his messy hair.

"I can feel that you're gaining a really big problem," Lennon whispered, hovering her lips against his own.

"Oh, a big problem, huh?" Jude smirked. His hands instantly moved down to her backside, bringing her flush against him.

Lennon nodded, leaning forward to gently tug on his lower lip. "You're the biggest I've ever had, Jude."

He growled, pressing his lips against hers in a heated kiss. Jude didn't care if he was in a room filled with people he knew. He was completely infatuated with her and he was eager to know where this newfound relationship would lead to in the near future.

Lennon whimpered against his lips, parting her lips to allow his tongue to gently tease her own. She felt his hand drift down to the side of her exposed leg, causing Lennon to whimper quietly.

"Mm… I need another drink," she whispered, pulling back.

Jude nodded, his lips brushing against her neck and down to her collarbone. His beard gently scratched against her soft skin, causing her to whimper once it ran across one of her many hot spots.

"Jude…"

"Hm?"

"I'm going to get another drink…" Lennon pulled away from him, looking into his eyes. She smiled shyly, bringing her thumb once more to wipe away the left over lipstick that was on his lips.

"You look good with red too… Just as long as I'm the one that's putting it on you," she winked.

Jude grunted, "You are a goddamn tease. If only I'd have known you'd be this way. It's always the quiet ones."

Lennon licked her lips. "You know what they say… I'm quiet in the streets, but I'm a freak in the sheets."

Jude laughed, leading her to the bar. "You're funny."

"I'm glad you think so." Lennon smiled, kissing his cheek.

She ordered another shot of tequila, but instead, she took a shot with Jude. Their glasses clinked together and they simultaneously downed the liquid with the burn to their throats. She couldn't help but think back to Jude slamming against her throat earlier this morning.

Jude slowly wrapped his arms around her from behind. The upbeat music shifted to a much slower one and he swayed with her, leading her back to the dance floor. Slowly, Jude took her hand and twirled her to face him. He smiled, one hand resting on her lower back and the other holding her hand against his chest.

Lennon's free hand moved to rest on his shoulder, stepping closer to him as they moved to the slow beat of the song. As much as she loved dancing against him like they were a bunch of horny teenagers, their slow dance was just as meaningful.

They stared into each other's eyes, shifting onto their feet with each sway of their bodies. Lennon found herself stuck in a trance in the depths of his brown eyes. She didn't know how she was going to be able to go back home to New York or even leave for month-long trips that the National Geographic assigned to her.

She knew the minute their eyes met that she wasn't going to be able to leave. Jude knew it too. Staring into her beautiful orbs, Jude knew that this may possibly be the _one_ that Grace always talked about.

He thought it was stupid at first to think that there was one person out there for him, but now that he was holding her in his arms, Jude couldn't believe that he found her.

He stared into her eyes and he envisioned their future.

Lennon looked into his eyes and saw the rest of her life.

"Jude?" She whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." Lennon said softly, kissing his cheek.

"For what?"

"For being here. With me." Lennon released his hand and instead, wrapped both of her arms around his neck. She was hugging him tightly, swaying their bodies to the music long after the song ended.

Jude smiled, his arms wrapping around her lower back and holding her tightly.

There was no way he was ever going to let her go.


	8. Chapter 8

The following night, Lennon hesitantly attended the sacred circle that Grace invited her to. She didn't know what she was expecting, but when she saw a crowd of women surrounding a fire and dancing around in a circle, Lennon knew that she was in way over her head.

She decided to take a seat at one of the chairs, smiling to herself as the women that surrounded her began to pass a joint around the circle. Lennon, however, decided to just drink a glass of wine as she warmed herself up with the heat of the fire.

Suddenly, a group of five women stood from their seats and began to walk around the fire once more, chanting loudly, "Luna! Luna! Luna!"

Lennon giggled, looking over at Grace. "You guys are chanting to the moon?"

Grace smiled, "It's a full moon. We, as women, are most fertile when the full moon is out. Are you and Jude trying to get pregnant?"

"What?! No! We just started dating. I can't even imagine having a baby at this age…" Lennon admitted, sipping from her glass.

"Wait, you and Jude? He finally put it in you?" One of the women interrupted, giggling. It must have been from the alcohol or the weed that caused her to laugh at everything she heard or saw.

"Well, we wanted to wait and I'm glad we did." Lennon smiled.

"Did Grace tell you?" she replied.

"Did Grace tell me what?" Lennon looked over at Grace and noticed how the smile on her face disappeared. She was hiding something.

"Nothing. She doesn't need to know, Laura. Let it go."

"She and Jude… Well, you know, got it on. _Plenty_ of times, too." Laura winked.

Lennon narrowed her eyes. She cleared her throat and downed the rest of her wine glass. All of a sudden, she was feeling highly uncomfortable. She didn't necessarily know how to feel, but she knew that the alcohol running through her veins caused her to think irrational for a moment.

"Excuse me." Lennon said, standing from her seat and beginning to walk to her car when Grace caught up to her.

"Lenn…"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it was important."

"You didn't think it was important to tell me that my boyfriend had a relationship with the one woman who helped me connect with my dead parents? I'm dating him now and now whenever I hear him speak about you, I will be unable to get the image of you and him together."

"It isn't like that, Lennon." Grace said.

"Then what is it like?"

"I helped him. He helped me."

Lennon rolled her eyes. "Great. Sugarcoat it for me, why don't you?"

"We were both going through many things at the time. It's over now though. It won't happen again."

"Who broke it off, Grace?"

She sighed.

"Grace, who broke it off? Who ended it?"

"I did, okay? I did."

Lennon shook her head. "Seems like I have to pay him a visit."

She quickly climbed into her car and immediately began driving to Jude's place. Arriving within ten minutes, Lennon parked her car and walked towards the front door. She noticed that it was open and stepping inside, she heard the soft strumming of his guitar.

Instantly, she looked at him and noticed the guitar on his lap and his disheveled hair with his half-buttoned plaid shirt and denim jeans.

"Lennon," he smiled.

"You were with Grace?" Lennon asked with a tightened jaw.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Jude. You were with Grace and you didn't tell me?"

"Why is it important that I tell you?" Jude replied.

"Because she is the woman who helped me understand who my parents were, Jude! And you – you slept with her!"

"It was years ago, Lennon! It's done with! It's over."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It is not important! It's not like she's your mother anyway."

Lennon took a step back and tightened her jaw, "Excuse me?"

"Damn it. That came out wrong. Listen –" he took a step forward, extending a hand out for her.

"No. You just – I can't believe you."

"I didn't mean it. Fuck, Lennon, please, just sit down for me."

"No! I don't want to sit down. Now, I'm thinking back to these lingering stares that you and Grace have going on. I notice how long your hugs are and how she can easily kiss you on the lips…"

"Lennon, you're overreacting."

"Everything that you are saying is going to make me pack up my things and leave right now, Jude."

"What do you want me to say? Honestly, Lennon…"

She shook her head and walked to the stool at his bar counter. Lennon took a seat and placed her head in her hands, her elbows resting against the edge of the counter. She focused on her breathing. She didn't know how she was supposed to react, but she knew deep down the only reason why she was acting this way was because she was slightly jealous.

"Lennon, you've got to talk to me. What's going on?" Jude asked, hesitantly walking towards her.

Suddenly, he heard her crying and instantly turned her around. The tears that were strolling down her cheeks, staining her beautiful face made his heart clench. Jude never meant to hurt her, no less make her cry.

"Lennon…"

"I don't want to leave this place. Not now, not ever."

Jude furrowed a brow. Deep down, he was ecstatic.

"Then don't," he whispered.

"I can't just leave my home, Jude. Do you have any idea how devastated my grandparents will be? First my mother and now me…"

"Then what do you want, Lennon? I can't help you if you don't tell me."

Lennon rested her forehead against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist and crying quietly into him. She didn't want to leave. Sure, she was still upset that Grace and Jude decided to keep their affair a secret, but now that it was out in the open, she could focus on moving forward with Jude.

"I want you to tell me to stay. I want you to tell me that _you_ **want** me to stay."

Jude hooked a finger under Lennon's chin. He gently placed a light kiss onto her lips and pulled back with a slow linger.

"I want whatever you want. If you want to stay, then I want that too."

Lennon bit her lower lip and shut her eyes, burying her face against him. She inhaled his intoxicating scent and held onto him tighter.

"I'll think about it…" she whispered.

Jude nodded, kissing the crown of her head. "Want to snuggle?"

Lennon pulled back and smiled, "I need some comforting."

"I'll be more than happy to comfort you," he winked.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Ah, I have missed this story so much and the ruggedness that is JDM in this movie. I hope you guys are still enjoying this story! :-)

* * *

The following morning, Lennon awoke to the sounds of Jude's snores. She was snuggled against him as she began thinking about last night's events. She didn't expect him to be with Grace in an intimate way, but he was right. It wasn't her business.

With the lack of clothes, Lennon buried her face against his neck, reveling in his warm skin against hers. She brought her hand to play with the curls of hair on his chest, staring up at him and noticing the peaceful look on his face.

Lennon didn't want to leave Woodstock. She didn't expect to come to a town and fall in love with it just as her mother did. She certainly wasn't expecting to meet a man that she was willing to drop everything at New York for.

Like mother, like daughter, they would say.

Slowly, Lennon climbed out of his bed and pulled on her previous pair of panties and his flannel that was too large on her. She leaned down and kissed his chest lightly, beginning to walk out and quietly shutting his door.

Upon entering the kitchen, Lennon didn't know if she was breaking any boundaries, but she decided that it was worth the risk to wake him up with breakfast. She began a pot of coffee and grabbed the eggs and bacon from his fridge, looking through the cupboards for the pans. Once she found it, Lennon began cooking, her mind drifting to the man in the bedroom and back to her grandparents.

Her stay at Woodstock was slowly coming to an end, but Lennon knew that she didn't want to leave. She could see herself living in such a happy town as this one for the rest of her life. All she had to do was break the news to her grandparents, just how her mother did.

Lennon was taken out of her thoughts when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her from behind, startling her. Though, when she felt his beard gently run across her neck, she immediately knew who it was.

"Hey," he mumbled against her skin.

"I hope I'm not overstaying my welcome… I wanted to wake you with breakfast," she admitted, turning her head to kiss his cheek.

"You can never overstay your welcome. You're free to stay as long as you'd like. Besides, waking up to see you in my kitchen wearing _my_ shirt? I can get used to it," Jude smiled.

"So can I. I loved waking up in your arms."

"Same here. I've never had a good night's sleep like last night."

"Well, that's because you tired both yourself and I with the amount of sex we had," Lennon giggled.

"Don't make me tie you up again," he threatened playfully, gently smacking her backside.

Lennon squeaked, sending him a playful glare over her shoulder. Jude released his hold on her and walked to grab two cups, pouring coffee into both.

"How do you like your coffee, Lennon?"

"Two sugars, splash of milk. Thank you."

Jude smiled to himself, making her coffee exactly the way she wanted it. When he finished, he sipped at his own black cup of coffee and watched her admiringly. He meant it when he said he could get used to this every day. She just seemed like she belonged here, in Woodstock, and also in his life.

"I think I've made up my mind," Lennon said.

"About?"

"Staying here or not."

Jude cleared his throat, taking a seat at the counter as he watched her cook. "And what's that?"

"I want to stay… But I'm afraid to tell my grandparents. They've already been through this with my mother and I just –"

"Don't want to break their heart again," he finished.

"Exactly."

"Well, would it help if I came with you? I wouldn't mind seeing the place that _you_ grew up in."

"It's New York. It's loud and busy and –"

"And you grew up there. I want to come with you, if it's all right," Jude interrupted.

"You know, you don't have to…"

"I know, but I want to."

Lennon nodded, turning the stove off and bringing the plates of food on the counter where Jude was sitting. Before she could pull a bar stool closer to him, Jude instantly pulled her onto his lap and began eating.

"So, when's the flight?"

"Noon," she replied.

"Today? You were going to leave today?" Jude asked.

Lennon nodded, dropping her eyes as she took a forkful of eggs into her mouth and slowly began chewing.

"Well, I'm glad you decided to stay then."

"Me too," Lennon said, turning her head to kiss his cheek. "I just – I didn't expect to find someone that I like so much when I thought to come here to find out more about my parents."

Jude grinned, flashing her his dimples. "Well, you know what they say…"

"What?"

"The best things in life are the unexpected ones," Jude said, kissing her cheek.

"Oh, you're quite the charmer," she giggled.

"What can I say? I'm a natural."

* * *

Driving to New York City was simply a two hour drive from Woodstock, so deciding to take Jude's truck, the entire car ride seemed to last forever. Lennon's leg was tapping incessantly against the floor of the truck and despite Jude's comforting hand on her thigh, it wasn't helping her nerves.

"Okay, you're making _me_ nervous, Lenn. What's going on?" he asked, focusing on the road.

"I just – I don't want to disappoint my grandparents."

He sighed, glancing over at her briefly. "You don't have to stay at Woodstock…"

"I know, but I just – I want you. I want to see where this takes us. Being in Woodstock has brought me closer to my parents and just walking the streets in that small town… It's like they're there with me," she admitted.

"Then your grandparents will understand."

Once they entered the city, Lennon told Jude the directions to her grandparents' house. As they approached it, she cleared her throat and looked up at him. He seemed calm, even flashing her a small smile of reassurance before he leaned over to peck her lips.

"I'm right here with you," he promised.

"Okay… Come on." Lennon climbed out of his truck, taking his hand tightly into her own. When she knocked on the door, her grandfather opened it and grinned at the sight of her.

"Lenny, baby!" he swung the door open, pulling her in for a tight hug. "You're back!"

"Hi, grandpa…" she smiled, reveling in his tight embrace. "I've got someone for you and grandma to meet."

Jude bit his lower lip, straightening himself and nodding in the direction of her grandfather when they made eye contact. When her grandmother appeared in the door, she glanced over at Jude before enveloping Lennon in a tight hug.

"Come in, come in!" she smiled.

Lennon took Jude's hand and led him inside, following her grandparents to the kitchen where she sat at the table with Jude sitting next to her.

"How was it?" her grandfather asked.

"It was… Great. I love it there."

Dread and concern filled my grandfather's eyes, but as Lennon glanced over at her grandmother, it was almost as if she knew what was coming.

"Don't say what I think you're going to say," her grandfather mumbled.

"But –"

"But nothing, Lennon. Is your friend here from Woodstock?" he asked.

Lennon nodded, but Jude took control of the situation.

"I'm Jude…" he smiled nervously. "Lennon's a great girl and –"

"She's not going back with you," her grandfather interrupted.

"Grandpa!" Lennon exclaimed, widening her eyes. "That is not fair. You can't tell me what to do anymore. I'm not a little girl."

"You are to me, dammit! First my own daughter and now you? What's so goddamn great about Woodstock?" he yelled.

"Y – You've never been? Since mom's death, you've never thought to visit?" Lennon mumbled.

Her grandmother sighed, "We didn't want to go to a place where our little girl died, Lenny. You've got to understand where we are coming from, why your grandfather is so upset by this news."

"Can you give Lennon and I some alone time while I try and talk some sense into this girl?" her grandfather said, motioning for Lennon's grandmother and Jude to leave them be.

Jude sighed, not wanting to leave, but when he saw her nod, he placed a soft kiss on the crown of her head and followed her grandmother to the front porch.

"I think I may be in love with her," Jude blurted, glancing over at Lennon's grandmother.

"I know," she answered.

"Y – You know? How can you know? We just met…"

"It's the way you look at her. I knew it the minute I saw her standing here," she smiled sadly. "Her grandfather just doesn't want her to end up like our Lily, you know? We raised her and she's going back to the same place her mother died…"

Jude sighed, stepping closer to Lennon's grandmother. "Your daughter's best friend, Grace, showed Lennon all around town. Many of the older people there actually thought she was Lily from the way she was dressed. I can't attest to it, but many have said that when Arlo and Lily died… A piece of Woodstock was missing. That piece came back when Lennon showed up."

Her grandmother widened her eyes in shock. She hadn't heard about Grace in so long and to know that she was taking care of Lennon just as she did with Lily made her nerves slightly calm down. "It's really that great up there, huh?"

Jude smiled, "Definitely. We're all about peace. We're a bunch of hippies…"

"Oh, don't I know it," she laughed.

* * *

Lennon's head was dropped, her eyes staring at her lap with tears strolling down her cheeks as her grandfather continued to lecture her about how wrong of a decision it is to leave New York and live in Woodstock.

"Are you out of your mind? You have a life _here_! What can Woodstock possibly offer you, Lennon?"

"I feel closer to mom when I'm there! I walk around town and I feel like she's with me, grandpa… You'd know if you actually visited. Woodstock is an amazing place. I have never felt so welcomed in a community like that one," she admitted.

"I can't. I can't let you go."

"I am almost thirty years old, grandpa! I can make my own decisions. I thought it'd be respectful enough for me to tell you my plan rather than just leave and never tell you or grandma…"

"You are doing exactly what your mother did! You come home and tell us you're going to be moving to Woodstock! You bring a man with you, just like how she did with Arlo! You are your mother's daughter! What if you end up like her, huh?! What if?!"

He stood up, pacing in front of her as he breathed heavily due to his anger. Lennon cried quietly, tears falling to the fabric of her pants and she wiped the tears quickly, sniffling.

"Grandpa… It's a different world now… I'll be careful. I'll –"

"No! How am I supposed to watch over you when you're two hours away, Lenny?! I can't lose you too!" he sat down, tears clouding his eyes.

Lennon hesitantly stood up and moved to sit next to him, wrapping her arms around her grandfather. He cried silently against her, holding her tight against him.

"My decision is final, grandpa…"

Suddenly, he pulled away, averting his gaze elsewhere. "Then leave."

"But –"

" **Go**." he said harshly, standing up and leaving Lennon in the dining room alone.

She took a deep, shaky breath and stood from the table, glancing at her grandfather from the kitchen before walking to the front door. Lennon noticed her grandmother and Jude laughing to themselves, but when she made eye contact with her grandmother, she simply offered a solemn expression.

"Lenny, baby…" she cooed, walking to her.

"I'm sorry," Lennon replied, wrapping her arms around her grandmother and crying heavily against her neck.

Jude bit his lower lip, glancing inside the house before sighing.

"Grandpa said I should go, so… I'll talk to you later," Lennon hiccupped.

"I love you, Lenny… So does your grandfather." she reassured, kissing her cheek.

"I know he does… I love you both too."

Jude instantly wrapped his arm around Lennon's shoulder, nodding in the direction of her grandmother and bringing her into the truck. Once they were both inside, Lennon told Jude the directions to her apartment and noticed how closely located it was to her grandparents.

When they exited the car, Lennon brought him inside and instantly collapsed on the couch, crying into her hands.

Jude shut the door, quickly walking to her and wrapping his arms around her. "Hey… Hey…"

Lennon curled against him which prompted Jude to pull her onto his lap. He allowed her face to bury against his neck, feeling her tears stain his shirt.

"I disappointed them and –" she hiccupped, trying to force herself to stop crying.

"Lennon, baby, you've gotta breathe, okay?" Jude instructed. "It's going to be fine. It'll be all right."

Lennon nodded, taking comfort of his presence. After a few minutes, her tears had ceased and she was simply snuggling against his side. Jude hesitantly hooked a finger under her chin, biting his lower lip and staring into her red, swollen eyes.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm sorry you had to see that… Hear that."

"Don't apologize for something that was out of your control. I'm just glad I decided to come with you."

"Me too… Can we head to bed? Tomorrow, I'll give you an official tour of my place," Lennon said.

"That's fine with me. Are you going to sleep naked?" he winked.

Lennon giggled, leading him to her bedroom. "No because if I start to undress now, we won't get any sleep."

Jude laughed, removing his jeans and his denim shirt. He fell back onto her bed, clad in his boxers. He extended his arms for her and Lennon smiled, removing her pants and undoing her bra from her shirt.

She climbed into her bed and instantly snuggled against him, shutting her eyes and reveling in his presence.

Quietly, Jude began to hum, his hand running along her arm soothingly. She smiled to herself, kissing his cheek and relaxing against him.

Lennon knew she made the right choice.


	10. Chapter 10

The next few days were focused on packing Lennon's clothes and necessities into boxes. They still hadn't spoken about what occurred at her grandparents' house, but Jude decided to let her come to him when she was ready.

Tonight, however, Jude decided to surprise her with playing his guitar on her couch while she went to buy pizza. He was strumming the strings quietly and smiled to himself when he heard the door unlock, slowly being pushed open to reveal his beautiful girlfriend.

Lennon immediately blushed at the sight of Jude, setting the box of pizza onto the coffee table in front of him after she shut the front door and locked it.

"Hey," he smiled.

"Well, hey there. Found your guitar in your truck?"

"I bring it with me _everywhere_ ," Jude winked.

"Lucky me. Are you going to serenade me?" she giggled.

"Maybe later. I'm a bit hungry," he teased, causing Lennon to gently poke his side.

Jude set the guitar down and pulled her close to his side for a moment, kissing the crown of her head and holding her tight. Lennon didn't mind it. She simply snuggled closer, inhaling his intoxicating scent that she had gotten so used to.

"All right, let's eat," she said, pulling away from his embrace to hand him a paper plate after she opened the box of pizza.

Lennon decided to curl her legs underneath her, taking a large bite of her slice as she looked over at Jude who had already begun to eat. She couldn't wait to go back to Woodstock and spend more time with him.

"Tell me something I don't know about you," Lennon asked.

"Hm. Like what?"

"Anything."

"Well," Jude began, looking up in thought. "I fell in love with Woodstock the second I came to the town. I wasn't supposed to stay, simply just passing by, but I loved it too much to leave."

Lennon smiled, leaning in to rest her free hand on his shoulder, gently circling the fabric of his shirt as she held her empty plate in the other.

"Seems like Woodstock's doing the same to me," she giggled.

Jude smiled at the sound, glancing at her with a natural glint in his eyes. "What about you? Tell me something I don't know."

"Hm…" Lennon mumbled, biting her lower lip. "I love running. There's just something about it that's so freeing…"

"Running, huh? What about swimming?" he grinned.

"Ooh, that too. Only if it's with you and if we're skinny dipping," she winked.

Jude laughed, "I like that."

They both set their plates on the table and Jude took initiative by placing her feet onto his lap, gently massaging the bottom soles of it with slight pressure. Lennon groaned, allowing herself to relax as she shut her eyes and tilted her head back against the couch.

"So, when did you find out about your parents?" he asked.

"I started asking questions when I was about nine or ten. My grandparents never hid anything from me, though. They were always so eager to answer me, even if it hurt them so much," she admitted.

"I commend you, Lenn. You know, for being so brave and accepting of what's happened. Not many people maintain their resolve. Some actually crack."

"Well, my grandparents raised me right. I knew how much they loved my mother… I just – I wish I had the chance to know my father too. You know, as well as I do my mother."

"What about his parents?" Jude asked.

"Passed away," she sighed. "What about you, though? What was your childhood like?"

Jude shrugged, digging his thumbs into the bottom of her feet. "My mom died when I was nine, so my relationship with my dad wasn't all that great growing up. With my mom's death, we grew apart. So, the minute I turned eighteen, I packed a bag and left. Haven't been back since."

Lennon bit her lower lip, sitting up and leaning against him instead. He draped an arm over her lap and gently ran his fingertips along the outer side of her thigh. "Have you talked to him though?"

"I actually gave him a call when I found out why you were visiting Woodstock. I learned more about your parents, and well… I realized that I was still lucky enough to have one of my parents still alive. Since you came to Woodstock, it's opened my eyes to many things in my life," he admitted.

"Oh yeah?"

Jude smiled, "What can I say? You're a damn good influence."

"What about Grace?"

"What about her?"

Lennon bit her lower lip, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and gently running it across the fabric of shirt. "How did that relationship begin?"

"Lennon…" he warned.

"What? I want to know."

Jude sighed, "Well… I was in a rough patch when I came through Woodstock. Hooked on drugs and Grace… She saved my life. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for her involvement in helping me get better."

"Did you love her?"

He looked down at her, sighing. "Lennon, stop."

"Jude, it's just a question. I promise I won't get jealous."

"I did, and I _do_. I will spend every day making up for what she helped me through, but that type of love isn't the same for –"

"For?" Lennon asked.

"Nothing," he shrugged, thinking back to his conversation with Lennon's grandmother. Jude didn't know if he was ready to admit that he was falling in love with her. "Do you think your grandparents will be okay with you moving once you actually do?" he asked, changing the subject.

Lennon arched a brow, but decided to let the matter go. "I don't know… They can't necessarily stop me, right?"

"Can I ask you something?" Jude asked.

"Sure."

"Why Woodstock?"

"I already answered that," Lennon sighed.

"Is it _only_ because of your parents?"

"It's most of it, yes."

"What's the rest?"

"Jude…"

"Tell me," he said.

"I fell in love with the town, just how you did. I love the people there, the tight community… And like I said before, I feel my parents _there_. I feel closer to them for some reason."

"That's it?"

"Jude, what do you mean that's it?"

He sighed, glancing over at her. "I just – Don't stay in Woodstock because of me. Stay in Woodstock because _you_ want to stay there. Don't let me be the main factor," Jude admitted.

"What?" she pulled away. "What are we doing then, Jude? If I don't stay, do you know what that means for us? I can't do long distance. So, tell me. Answer me this. What are we doing? Just sleeping around? Is that it? Using me like you used Grace?" Lennon blurted.

"Excuse me?" Jude mumbled. "That is not fair. That's not what I did at all."

Lennon bit her lower lip, watching Jude spring to his feet at the sudden accusation. "You stayed because you fell in love with her, didn't you?"

"No, goddammit. You're not listening, are you?"

"How come it's okay for _you_ to stay without a reason by I suddenly have to have one? My parents died in Woodstock, Jude! They have a house that I was going to grow up in… A tire swing that was meant to be placed at the tree out in the front yard… It's not _just_ about you!" she yelled.

"I didn't say it's about me, Lenn! I just want you to make sure you're making the right decision."

"Why do you think that I'm not? Because I'm dating _you_? Is that it?"

Jude sighed, tightening his jaw. "Why do you keep talking to me like I'm out to get you? I'm looking out for you!"

"What for?! This is my decision to make and if it's a bad one, then so fucking what! I will deal with it when, and _if_ , I realize it's a mistake."

Jude shook his head, slipping his shoes on. "You're attacking me and I simply wanted to make sure you thought this through. I'm going to go for a walk. I'll be back later."

Lennon was about to stop him, but he simply walked out through the door and shut it quietly behind him. She was alone, again. She sat at the couch and felt tears sting her eyes.

Maybe she misinterpreted their relationship entirely.


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning: SMUT**

* * *

Lennon didn't know how long Jude would be gone, so she decided to clean the dirty dishes and around her apartment. She looked over at the boxes that were already closed and filled and she had to wonder if she was making the right decision by moving to Woodstock.

Their talk wasn't supposed to end the way it did. Jude wasn't supposed to walk out on her, but she knew that she was partially at fault. He was simply asking a question and Lennon jumped to conclusion. However, she had a reason to. Her previous relationship made her the way she was with future men, but Jude didn't know that.

When Lennon finished cleaning around her apartment, she sat on the couch, staring at the door and waiting for Jude to knock. She sighed and lied back down, sending him a quick text to come back before setting it aside.

Jude felt highly uncomfortable walking around the block of her apartment complex. It was much noisier than going for a walk in Woodstock. He hadn't been back in the city in such a long time and joining Lennon to help her pack made him realize that he didn't like it whatsoever.

He sighed to himself and thought about their argument, their _first_ argument. Jude wasn't used to seeing that side of Lennon, but he hoped that he would help her learn how to go about situations in a different way. He didn't mean any harm in his question, but Lennon thought differently.

Jude, however, was afraid that she was moving to Woodstock simply for _him_. He knew that it was selfish to think that way, but he had an inkling that part of the reason why she wanted to move was to be closer to him. He didn't mind, in fact, he was more than ecstatic, but Jude just wanted to make sure that she was thinking about it thoroughly.

When Jude felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, he pulled it out and looked at the message. He sighed and began walking back to her apartment complex. The first thing he was going to do was apologize.

Lennon heard a knock on the door. Grinning, she stood up and walked eagerly to open it. However, when she saw her ex-boyfriend standing on the other side, she cleared her throat and hoped that Jude was on his way.

"E – Eric… What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I can't visit?"

"Not after we broke up, no."

"Well, I figured we could talk about that actually."

"It's done. We're done. Can you please leave, Eric?"

"Come on. Let me come in. It'd be like old times," he winked, stepping into the apartment without invitation.

Jude was watching at the end of the hall. He didn't know who this man was and why he was stepping into her apartment, but he was jealous. Super fucking jealous. Jude contemplated on interrupting the little reunion or just walking away, but he decided that Lennon was _his_.

Despite their argument, she was still his girlfriend. He may have not wanted to be the main reason why she should move to Woodstock, but that didn't mean that he didn't care for her. Jude had fallen in love with her and he wasn't going to let her go.

"Eric, you have to leave…" Lennon mumbled, stepping back from him.

Eric looked around the apartment, arching a brow. "You moving?"

"I am, yes."

"Where to?"

"I don't think that's any of your business," she replied.

"O-ho! It is my business. I still love you, baby," he grinned, walking towards her.

"Eric, please…"

Just as he was going to reach for her, Lennon heard the knock on the door and silently wishing it was Jude. She quickly moved away from Eric and to the door, opening it slowly. When she saw Jude, relief flashed through her eyes and she wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"He won't leave," she whispered, pulling away from him.

Jude arched a brow, startled by her sudden embrace. He could feel her tense body against his and he had to wonder why. Though, when she whispered into his ear, Jude felt anger run through his veins.

He placed a gentle kiss at her temple and stepped inside with her, keeping her strategically behind him.

"So, is _he_ the reason why you're moving?" Eric asked, sizing himself up against Jude.

"Eric –"

"Just tell me the fucking truth," he spat.

"Hey. If she doesn't want to tell you, she doesn't have to," Jude interrupted.

"I don't think I was talking to you. I was talking to my woman."

Jude tightened a jaw, but instead, flashed a smile. "Your woman?"

"Eric, Jude's my boyfriend, okay? You need to leave. You can't keep showing up. We're done…" Lennon mumbled, stepping away from Jude and wringing her hands together. When she made eye contact with Eric, he noticed the fear in her eyes and how she quickly looked away.

"Your boyfriend? Have you told him all about us yet? How much fun we had?" he grinned, reaching out to touch her cheek.

Jude shook his head and quickly swatted his arm away, taking a step forward. "Back off. It's clear that Lennon doesn't want you here, so do us a favor and get the hell out."

Eric narrowed his eyes at Lennon, waiting for her to speak up. When she didn't, his hands curled into fists and he felt anger pulse through him. "You're making a big fucking mistake, Lenn."

"Get the fuck out," Jude repeated opening the door and motioning for Eric to leave.

Erick snarled, deciding to leave the apartment but not without a glare to Lennon. "Lennon," he said harshly.

"All right. I'm done playing Mister Nice Guy," Jude said, grabbing Eric by the back of his shirt and tossing him out of the apartment. "Stay out of Lennon's life, asshole." He shut the door and made sure to lock it before he looked at Lennon.

Her eyes were glued to the floor and when Jude stepped forward to wrap his arms around her, she flinched away and looked up at him with intense fear.

"Hey… Hey, Lennon. It's just me, all right?"

She didn't respond, but instead, wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed heavily against him. Lennon shut her eyes, taking in his comfort and holding him close. "I – I'm sorry… I didn't mean to attack you earlier. I just –"

"You've got to tell me what's going on, Lennon…"

She pulled away, leading him to the bedroom where they lied next to one another. Jude wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side while her head rested against his chest.

"E – Eric and I… We dated for a while. It was really good in the beginning and then… Then, little things started to happen. I started to make mistakes. He didn't like that very much and –"

Jude shook his head. He could piece it together. "He's in the past now, all right? I'm going to keep you safe and I will _never_ lay a hand on you. I promise," he whispered, kissing her temple. "I'm sorry I left…"

Lennon sighed, "I don't blame you. I know I'm hard to deal with."

Jude shrugged, "Maybe, but I'd rather be the one to put up with it."

"Thank you for coming back."

"I wouldn't have left you after one argument, Lenn… You mean a lot to me. It's going to take more than that to make me leave," he smiled.

"Oh good. I like having you around."

Jude chuckled, rubbing her arm absently. "Do your grandparents know about Eric?"

Lennon shook her head. "N – No. I can't tell them."

"Why not?"

"Because I've never really brought home the greatest guys. You're different though and if they know what Eric used to do… They won't trust you with me. It's just going to give them another reason as to why I shouldn't leave," she sighed.

Jude arched a brow, "I've got your grandmother's approval. She knows I'd never hurt you."

"Jude…"

"Lennon… Baby, they have to know."

"Okay… Tomorrow, we'll go back and I'll tell them."

Jude looked down at her, noticing the tears in her eyes. He kissed her forehead and gently wiped her tears away, "You're coming back to Woodstock, no matter what. There is no way I'm going to let you stay here when he knows where you live, okay?"

"Thank you," she said softly, leaning up to peck his lips. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but –"

"We met at the right time. I'm going to forever be grateful that you gave me a chance."

"My ruggedly handsome man," she giggled.

"Yours truly," he winked.

* * *

The next morning, Lennon awoke quietly and looked down at Jude. Last night's events reminded her of how lucky she was to be with him. There was no other man she had ever been with that was as great as Jude.

Slowly, she ran her fingertips down his chest and to the waistband of his jeans. Lennon hesitantly sat up, removing her shirt and bra and also her pants and panties. She wanted to thank him for saving, and protecting her last night.

Lennon straddled his waist and slowly rolled her hips against his, whimpering as the fabric of his pants brushed against her clit multiple times. He stirred quietly, but otherwise remained asleep despite the growing erection beneath his jeans.

Lennon grabbed his hands and placed them on her breasts, moaning quietly as she felt his warm, large hands grasp onto her. Suddenly, Jude fluttered his eyes open with the sight of his girlfriend grinding against him with absolutely no clothes on.

"Lenn – Fuck," he groaned, feeling her undo his pants and slide a hand beneath them.

"Morning," she winked, pecking his lips.

Jude began to massage her breasts into the pit of his palms, lifting his hips to wiggle out of his pants. Lennon pushed them down further to his knees before she lifted herself to run her wet length along his tip.

"Fuck," he grunted, looking up at her. "I'm going to slam into you if you don't put it in," he threatened.

Lennon blushed, slowly lowering herself down onto his length. She shut her eyes and rested her hands on his chest, adjusting to his girth. Her wetness lubricated his manhood, making it easier for her to ride along him.

Jude dropped his hands from her breasts to her backside, grasping onto it tightly. He leaned up to place his lips against hers, his eyes falling shut and reveling in the spontaneous sex.

"Jude," she moaned, sitting upright and slamming herself down against him. She rolled her hips forward and backward, grunting at the feel of his hair at his base brushing against her clit and causing friction.

He wrapped his arm around her lower back, holding her tightly before rolling her onto her back swiftly. Jude slammed himself further into her depths, looking down at her as he grabbed her hands and placed them above her head.

"Fuck," he groaned, reveling in her tightness.

Lennon wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him to quicken his pace as she felt her bed rock back against the wall repeatedly. His roughs quickened and increased in roughness, causing her eyes to shut and her hands to grapple onto his own for stability.

Suddenly, Lennon felt her walls tighten around his manhood which took him by surprise. He looked down at her frame and grinned, his hips slamming into her repeatedly. After a few thrusts, Jude pulled out and released along her lower abdomen.

Lennon looked up at him, smiling. "Mm, that's just what I needed."

Jude chuckled, "Thank you for waking me up in the best possible way."

"I'm going to take a shower then we can head to my grandparents," she said, kissing his cheek.

Jude smiled, looking into her eyes. "All right. I'm tempted to join you, but we'll never leave."

"Invitation is always there," she winked.

When Lennon walked into the bathroom and Jude heard the water running, Jude grabbed his phone and dialed Grace's number.

"Jude? Everything okay?"

Jude had gone up and left her bedroom, brewing up a pot of coffee. "Everything's all right. Listen, is the Carters house still up for sale?"

"Carters? As in Lily and Arlo? Lennon's parents?"

"Yeah. Is it still up for sale?"

"It is. What are you up to, Jude?"

He grinned to himself. "Call the realtor. Tell him that I'll buy it."

"Jude –"

"Grace, I love this woman. She's moving to Woodstock and what better place for her than the place her parents used to live in? The place that she was supposed to grow up in?"

"You're a sucker for romance," she laughed.

"Anything to make Lennon happy," Jude smiled. "When that's situated, can you grab a few guys and fix that tire swing out front? I'm sure Lennon would love it."

"Of course. When will you guys be back? Probably the end of this week."

"Okay, you got it. I'll see you then."

After they hung up, Jude set his phone down and peeked into the bedroom to see Lennon exiting her bathroom in her towel. He smiled to himself and poured coffee into two mugs before bringing it into her bedroom.

He couldn't wait to surprise her when they went back to Woodstock.

* * *

"I need to tell you both something that I kept hidden for a very long time," Lennon began, sitting across from her grandparents at the dining table. Jude was sitting next to her, his hand placed comfortingly on her thigh.

"What is it?" her grandfather asked.

"E – Eric… I'm sure you remember him. The latter half of our relationship… He, uh, he started beating me. Every little mistake I made, I had a punishment for," tears were clouding her eyes and Lennon cleared her throat.

"Damn that man," her grandfather said angrily. "How can you leave when you've told us this, Lenny? How do we know that Jude isn't the same?"

Her grandmother spoke up, "He isn't."

"Grandpa, Jude's the greatest thing to ever happen to me. I'm moving no matter what, but I would like for you to be okay with it. I'll visit every weekend. I want _you_ both to come to Woodstock and see how it's like… It's an amazing town, grandpa."

Tears stung his eyes and he blinked them away, clearing his throat. "Jude?"

"Yes, sir?"

"You take care of my granddaughter, you hear? She's the only thing her grandmother and I have left," he said shakily.

Jude nodded, "I care about her so much, sir. I'd never do anything to hurt her."

Lennon stood up and wrapped her arms around her grandparents, but decided to hug her grandfather for a few moments longer. "I love you," she whispered.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes, "I love you too. You should have told us sooner about Eric."

"I know… I'm sorry."

"It isn't your fault. He'll never bother you again."

"I'll make sure of it," Jude added.

Her grandmother and Lennon moved to the kitchen, talking amongst themselves. With Jude alone with her grandfather, he looked over at her Lennon and bit his lower lip.

"Sir?"

"Jude," he responded.

"I love your granddaughter very much, and –"

"I know you do," he interrupted.

"What?"

"My wife told me, but I already knew it before that. You look at her in a way that I see myself looking at my own wife."

Jude smiled, "I'm going to take care of her. I promise."

"I know you will. It's just hard letting go, you know? It doesn't help that my daughter died in that town…"

"The man that was driving drunk didn't even live in Woodstock, from what I hear. They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Her grandfather nodded, reaching out and shaking Jude's hands. "I can tell that you're a good man, Jude. Don't disappoint her."

"Never."

* * *

Lennon and Jude were lying down on the bed after another intense tryst, snuggling against one another as her room smelled like sweat and sex.

"So, we leaving the end of this week?" Jude asked.

"Mhm. Or however long it takes us to pack my clothes. I still don't know where I'll be moving, so I figure we can do multiple visits," she replied.

"Sounds good to me." he smiled mischievously, burying his face against her neck.

"Get some sleep?"

Jude nodded, "Mhm. Maybe I'll wake you up extra special tomorrow morning," he teased.

Lennon giggled, blushing intensely. "Good night, Jude."

"Good night, baby."


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** Thank you to everyone who read this story! I have an absolute weakness for the movies that JDM stars in and he looks like _this_. So ruggedly handsome and charming. It was so much fun writing this, especially since it was my first story for the movie _Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding_!

* * *

The entire week in New York had gone smoothly after Lennon received her grandparents' acceptance about moving to Woodstock. She had been looking at properties in Woodstock and was disappointed when she realized someone had already bought her parents' home.

"What's up?" Jude asked, looking over at her as they were sitting on the couch.

"Someone already bought my parents' house. I was hoping I'd get it, build that tire swing and – I'm babbling. I'm sorry," she smiled nervously, looking up at Jude. "I'm sure I'll find something."

"Well, you can definitely stay with me until you find a place," he winked.

Lennon set her laptop on the coffee table and straddled his waist, wrapping her arms around his neck loosely. "Thank you for coming here with me. I don't know if I'd be able to do all of this without you."

Jude grinned, resting his hands on her hips. "Am I going to get a thank you gift right this second?"

Lennon giggled, shaking her head. "Nope. It has to happen naturally," she teased.

"Oh, right. So, you're just teasing me by sitting on my lap like this."

"Exactly."

Jude chuckled, burying his face against her neck and holding her tight against him. The sex was mind-blowingly amazing, but he enjoyed holding her just as much. He never thought he would ever find someone he would want to settle down with and with time, Jude was sure he was going to pop the question to her.

"Are you ready to go back to Woodstock tomorrow?" he asked.

Lennon nodded, "Hell yeah. I miss it."

Jude smiled, "My girl."

"The one and only," she winked.

Jude stood up, holding her against him as he brought her to her bedroom. Majority of her clothes were already packed and ready to set in the bed of his truck, but Jude paid no attention to it at the moment. He lied her down and climbed on top of her, gently lifting her shirt over her head and kissing her along her collarbone.

"Can I tell you something?" he mumbled against her skin.

"Mm, what is it?" Lennon asked.

Jude bit his lower lip, placing his hands on the mattress to hoist himself up. He looked into her eyes; no time was better than now to admit how he truly felt about her.

"I think I'm falling in love with you," he admitted.

Lennon cleared her throat. She certainly wasn't expecting him to admit something as big as that to her, and certainly not early in this relationship. However, as the silence trickled, Jude felt nervous and wondered if he had done the right thing.

"You think? Because I _know_ I'm falling in love with you," Lennon smiled.

Jude grinned, sitting up and pulling her with him. He hugged her tightly, shutting his eyes and reveling in her frame pressing against his own. It was as if she belonged in his arms.

"I am utterly in love with you, Lennon."

"Good. I am more than happy that the feeling is mutual," she leaned in and pecked his lips.

Jude lied down, collecting her into his arms. He kissed the crown of her head before staring into her eyes, gently twirling a strand of her hair along his finger.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm just remembering the first time we met. When I saw you, I was blown away. You were so beautiful. It's a good thing you made a fool out of yourself first, so I had a little boost of confidence afterwards," he teased.

Lennon arched a brow, gently poking his abdomen. "I did not make a fool out of myself!"

Jude laughed quietly, "Yes, you did. What did you say? Oh, right. _Wow. You are the definition of a rugged man_ ," he mimicked.

"You remembered?"

"Well, it's not every day a beautiful woman says something like that."

Lennon smiled, resting her cheek against his chest and playing with the fabric of his shirt. She shut her eyes and listened to the sound of his heartbeat. When she visited Woodstock, she certainly wasn't expecting to fall in love and decide to move there. Her grandparents always told her that things happened for a reason, so she believed meeting Jude and visiting Woodstock at the right time was meant to happen.

"What are you thinking about?" Jude asked, taking note of the sudden silence.

"Just how lucky I am. I'm moving to the one place my parents fell in love with and I'm going to be closer to you."

Jude smiled, "Yeah. You are lucky."

"Wow, so humble," she giggled.

Jude leaned down and pecked her lips, pulling back with a slight linger. "I love you," he whispered.

Her heart skipped a beat and a blush appeared on her cheeks. "I love you too.

* * *

The following morning, Lennon and Jude had gotten up early to prepare for the two-hour drive back to Woodstock to avoid traffic. After placing the last set of boxes in the bed of his truck, they decided to take a brief stop at her grandparents' house.

"I'll be back to gather more of my things, and when I get a place out there, you both have to come and visit, okay?" Lennon said, hugging her grandmother tight.

"If this town means a lot to you, then we'll visit. We missed out on doing that with Lily, so we're going to try and right our wrongs this time around," her grandfather smiled.

"I'll call when we get to Woodstock," she reassured him, hugging him tightly.

"All right. I love you, Lenny."

"I love you too, grandpa. I love you too, grandma."

Jude smiled at the both of them, hugging them as well before leading Lennon back to the truck. Soon enough, they were on the road back to Woodstock and she was extremely excited. Despite not having a place to stay at, Lennon was just eager to get back to the town that she had fallen in love with.

She scooted closer to Jude and rested her head on his shoulder, thankful that there wasn't anything separating them.

"What's up? You okay?" he asked.

Lennon nodded, kissing his cheek. "Just ready to get home."

Jude smiled, "Home?"

"Mhm. _Home_ ," she smiled.

"Well, you can get some rest. We won't be there for another hour or two."

"Are you sure? You don't need anyone to help keep you awake?"

Jude shook his head, gently resting his hand on her leg. "I'm okay. I'll be fine. You'll know something's wrong when the truck is upside down and –"

"Okay, okay. You can stop there," she smiled. "I get it. You're capable."

"Besides, I've got precious cargo with me," he winked.

"What?"

"You. You're my precious cargo. It's hard to be sweet on you when you don't understand my reference," he laughed.

Lennon smiled, kissing his cheek. "Well, I love it when you're being sweet."

"Oh, good," he chuckled, turning his head to kiss her temple.

"You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Lenn. Get some rest."

She nodded and settled back into her seat, but Jude kept his hand resting on her leg. He glanced over at her to see that her eyes had fallen shut and she was slowly falling into a light slumber.

Jude couldn't wait to get to Woodstock and surprise her. When he was alone, he made sure to send messages to Grace to make sure everything was ready in time for their arrival. He was excited to see Lennon's reaction.

After about two and a half hours, Lennon awoke and noticed the familiar town. She grinned, stretching her arms above her head and looked out the window with fascinated eyes.

"We're here," she smiled.

"Not yet," Jude answered.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see, baby."

Lennon arched a brow, deciding to snuggle closer to his side. When they passed his house and Grace's, she was confused. Lennon thought she was staying with him until she found a place.

"Jude?"

"We're almost there." he smiled.

Slowly, Lennon started to recognize the surroundings. It was where Grace had taken her to show her parents' old home. When she noticed the tire swing built on the tree out front, Lennon arched a brow with curiosity.

Then, Jude stopped the car and climbed out, extending a hand out for her which she eagerly took.

"What are we doing here?" she asked. "The owners of this place will be angry if they see us and –"

"It's yours," he grinned.

"What? Jude, what did you do?"

"It's off the market. It's yours now."

Tears built in her eyes and she looked up at him, biting her lower lip. "How? It said was sold already…"

"I know. It's because I bought it. For you."

"Jude, you didn't have to do that."

"I know I didn't, but I knew how much it meant to you and if this relationship goes anywhere, I'd be willing to move in with you when the time comes," Jude said softly, grabbing her hands.

"You even built the tire swing," she smiled, tears falling from her face.

"Well, I didn't, but I had Grace and a few guys do it for me. For _you_."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried quietly into it, holding him tightly. Jude wrapped his arms around her lower back and smiled, kissing her cheek.

"I love you," she whispered.

Jude felt his heart become full at her words. He didn't think he would ever get tired of hearing her say that she loved him.

"I love you too."

Jude set her down and kept an arm wrapped around her shoulders, leading her to her parents' old house.

Lennon looked up at him and smiled, "Thank you so much, Jude."

He grinned and replied, "Welcome to Woodstock, baby."

* * *

 **THE END**


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